Breast Cancer: Symptoms and Causes

Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts. Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it's far more common in women.

What are the symptoms?

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:

• A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
• Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast
• Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
• A newly inverted nipple
• Peeling, or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin
• Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange

What are the causes of breast cancer?

The exact causes of breast cancer aren't fully understood. However, there are certain factors known to increase the risk of breast cancer. These include:

• age – the risk increases as you get older
• a previous diagnosis of breast cancer
• a previous benign breast lump
• being tall, overweight or obese
• excessive use of alcohol

Inherited breast cancer

Doctors estimate that about 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are linked to gene mutations passed through generations of a family. If you have a strong family history of breast cancer or other cancers, your doctor may recommend a blood test to help identify specific mutations in BRCA or other genes that are being passed through your family.

I will be talking further about breast cancer in the upcoming blog. Stay connected.