What are the symptoms of mid-stage breast cancer?

Breast cancer has become a major problem that society pays attention to today. There is still no clear explanation for its cause. But its most obvious feature is the existence of certain regularities. The sick population is mainly concentrated between the ages of 25 and 50. Breast cancer has different symptoms when it develops to different stages. Let’s take a look at the symptoms of mid-stage breast cancer.

1. Location: With the nipple as the center, the breast can be divided into five areas by making a cross: upper inner, upper outer, lower inner, lower outer and central (areola). Breast cancer is most common on the outer side, followed by the inner side. Inner-lower and outer-lower are less common.

2. Number: Breast cancer is most commonly seen as a single lump in one breast. Multiple unilateral masses and primary bilateral breast cancer are not common clinically. However, with the improvement of tumor prevention and treatment, the survival period of patients continues to increase. After surgery for breast cancer on one side, the chance of a second primary cancer developing in the contralateral breast will increase.

3. Size: The lumps of early breast cancer are generally small and sometimes difficult to distinguish from lobular hyperplasia or some benign lesions. However, even a very small lump may sometimes affect the suspensory ligaments of the breast, causing symptoms such as local skin indentation or nipple retraction, which are easier to detect early. In the past, due to poor medical care, lumps were often larger when patients sought medical treatment. Nowadays, with the popularization of breast self-examination and the development of screening work, the number of early breast cancer cases has increased clinically.

4. Morphology and boundaries: Most breast cancers grow invasively with unclear boundaries. Some may be flat, with an uneven surface and a nodular feel. However, it should be noted that the smaller the lump, the less obvious the above symptoms. In addition, a few special types of breast cancer may have mild infiltration and expansive growth, appearing smooth, mobile, and with clear boundaries, making them difficult to distinguish from benign tumors.

5. Hardness: Breast cancer lumps are hard in texture, but cellular medullary carcinomas may be slightly softer, and some may also be cystic, such as cystic papillary carcinoma. A few lumps are surrounded by a large amount of fatty tissue and feel flexible when palpated.

6. Mobility: When the tumor is smaller, its mobility is greater, but this activity is that the tumor moves together with its surrounding tissues, which is different from the activity of fibroadenoma. If the tumor invades the pectoralis major fascia, the range of motion will be weakened; if the tumor further involves the pectoralis major muscle, the mobility will disappear. Ask the patient to put his hands on his hips and straighten his chest to contract the pectoral muscles, and you will see that the breasts on both sides are obviously asymmetrical. Advanced breast cancer may invade the chest wall, which is completely fixed. The lymph nodes around the tumor are invaded, and the skin edema may appear like orange peel, called "orange peel sign". Nodules appear under the skin around the tumor, called "satellite nodules".

The above are the symptoms of mid-stage breast cancer, which mainly manifest in 6 aspects. Many women believe that if they live a good enough life with quality assurance, they will not suffer from such a disease. This is unscientific. Many women lack certain knowledge about breasts and are unable to observe and test themselves. As a result, when they discover breast cancer, it is already in the late stage of the cancer. As women, we must pay enough attention to this.