(Sara Lindberg/ SELF Magazine) — Recognizing the early symptoms of breast cancer can make a huge difference in the progression of the disease. The sooner you identify it and get started on treatment, the better chances you’ll have of making a full recovery. But knowing what, exactly, to look for and what types of changes warrant a conversation with your doctor can be a tad confusing.
That’s because the symptoms of breast cancer can look and feel different from person to person. They also vary depending on the type of breast cancer and the location where it forms—for instance, behind the nipple versus toward the chest wall, Meghan R. Flanagan, MD, MPH, a surgical oncologist specializing in breast health at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, tells SELF.
Dr. Flanagan says the most common early symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or change in the shape or contour of the breast. Other red flags can include nipple changes, skin changes, or breasts that feel unusually enlarged, she adds. (We’ll dig into these more below.) (…)