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Breast cancer - Symptoms

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of breast cancer.

Alternative Names

Mammograms; Mastectomy

Symptoms:

Breast cancers in their early stages are usually painless. Often the first symptom is the discovery of a hard lump. Fifty percent of such masses are found in the upper outer quarter of the breast. The lump may make the affected breast appear elevated or asymmetric. The nipple may be retracted or scaly. Sometimes the skin of the breast is dimpled like the skin of an orange. In some cases there is a bloody or clear discharge from the nipple. Many cancers, however, produce no symptoms and cannot be felt on examination. They can be detected only with a mammogram.

Resources

www.cancer.gov -- National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.org -- American Cancer Society
www.asco.org -- American Society of Clinical Oncology
www.breastcancer.org -- BreastCancer.Org
www.komen.org -- Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
www.nccn.org -- National Comprehensive Cancer Network
www.cancer.net -- Cancer.Net
www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials -- Find clinical trials

References

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Reviewed last on: 11/10/2008
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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