Symptoms of Breast cancer and precaution
Breast cancer is a kind of growth of cells in the breast tissue which are not controlled. Breast cancer is most commonly diagnosed in women who age 55 to 65. Survival rates of breast cancer have been improved and better treatments have developed.
Symptoms:
Initially, breast cancer may not show any symptoms. The lump can be too small for you to notice any changes. The first sign of breast cancer is the development of a new lump in the breast that you can feel. A lump which is painless, hard, with irregular edges is most likely to be a cancer. In some cases, cancers can be soft, tender and round. So, this is very important to have anything unusual checked by your doctor.
American cancer society: any of the following changes in the breast can be a symptom of cancer.
- Swelling of all of a part of the breast
- Skin irritation or dimpling
- Breast pain
- Nipples turning inward or nipple pain
- Redness, scaly texture, thickening of nipple or breast skin
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk
- Lump formation in the underarm
Above symptoms of changes can also be caused by infection or a cyst. Any changes in the breast must be checked out promptly by a doctor.
Precaution:
- Avoid becoming overweight: Being overweight can increase the risk of breast cancer after menopause. This is the time best cancer occurs often. Try to maintain your body weight and BMI under 25.
- Eat healthy: Use vegetable oils over animal fats. Have a diet which is heavy in vegetables and fruits. Sugared level, refined carbohydrates and high fat food must be avoided. You can have lean proteins like fish or chicken breasts. Eating whole grains are the best option.
- Stay physically active: According to a study, it has been found that a slight increase in physical activities can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 30%. This just needs a moderate kind of exercise like half an hour walk or a light exercise at home.
- Say no to alcohol: Alcohol consumption can lead to the increase the risk of breast cancer. So, it is better to reduce the consumption of alcohol or totally boycott it.
- No smoking: Research says that smoking can highly increase the risk of breast cancer. Long term smoking can lead to other diseases too.
- Breast feed for as long as you can: It has been found that the women who breastfeed their baby for a long time like a year have a less chance of developing breast cancer.
- Regular breast cancer screening: You must have a routine checkup from your doctor and regular screening procedure.