Breast pain is rarely a sign of breast cancer, especially in the early stages. However, in more advanced stages, breast cancer can cause pain.
Still, it is common for many other symptoms to appear before breast pain, such as changes in the color of the nipple, swelling, frequent itching or release of liquid from the nipple. Know the main symptoms of breast cancer.
In any case, it is important to remember that in the early stages, when cancer has a greater chance of being cured, most people do not show any symptoms. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out a breast self-examination to identify any changes and schedule regular appointments with the doctor, especially when you have factors that increase the risk of cancer.
When breast pain could be a sign of cancer
Although in most cases cancer does not cause any pain, there is a rare type known as “inflammatory breast cancer” that can cause pain during its development. However, this type of cancer also causes other characteristic symptoms such as nipple discharge, inverted nipple, swelling or redness.
In any case, this type of cancer can also be identified by tests used to explore the cause of the pain, such as mammography, and therefore, in the case of breast pain, it is always important to consult a gynecologist.
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What can breast pain be?
In most cases, breast pain is caused by less serious situations such as:
- Hormonal changes: especially during puberty and in the days leading up to or during menstruation;
- Benign cysts: characterized by the presence of small nodules in the breast. See more about breast cyst symptoms;
- Excess milk: in the case of women who are breastfeeding.
Breast pain can also be a sign of pregnancy because this symptom is very common in the first trimester of pregnancy. Therefore, women who are trying to get pregnant or who have a delay in menstruation should take a pregnancy test to confirm this possibility.
In other cases, pain may also be caused by the use of some types of medication, some examples of which include Methyldopa, Spironolactone, Oxymetholone or Chlorpromazine.
See other common causes of breast pain.
What to do when you feel pain in your breast
When you feel any type of pain in the breast, you can do a self-examination of the breast to look for lumps in the breast and, if a lump is identified or the pain persists, you should go for a consultation with a mastologist, so that he can examine the breast and, if necessary, order a mammogram.
Although cases of breast pain caused by cancer are rare, it is always important to see a gynecologist, as if this is the cause of the pain, it is important to identify the cancer as soon as possible to facilitate treatment and improve the chances of a cure.
Watch the following video and see how to correctly perform a breast self-examination:
Source: www.tuasaude.com