Symptoms of Breast Cancer

The first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But sometimes cancers can be tender, soft, and rounded. So it's important to have anything unusual checked by your doctor.

According to the American Cancer Society, any of the following unusual changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer:

1. swelling of all or part of the breast
2. skin irritation or dimpling
3. breast pain
4. nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
5. redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
6. a nipple discharge other than breast milk
7. a lump in the underarm area

These changes also can be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. It’s important to get any breast changes checked out promptly by a doctor.