Breast cancer can occur without a visible or palpable lump
It is possible to havebreast cancerwithout a lump.
About one in six people with breast cancer do not report having a lump when theyre diagnosed.
Breast cancer without a lump typically shows other symptoms.
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It will also cover how long you could have breast cancer without knowing it or having symptoms.
Lobular Carcinoma
Breast cancer is when the cells in the breast tissue start growing out of control.
They can clump together, form a tumor, and start spreading from where they started.
The second most common key in of breast cancer is lobular carcinoma.
Lobular carcinoma makes up about 10% of breast cancers.
Lobular carcinoma starts in the milk glands and behaves differently than ductal carcinoma.
It doesnt form lumps but instead creates thickened breast tissue.
This thickening makes the breast feel different but not like a lump.
Inflammatory Breast Cancers
Inflammatory breast cancers make up about 5% of breast cancers.
They are a rare bang out of ductal carcinoma that can be aggressive.
These cancers usually do not form a lump and may not be detected by a mammogram.
These cancers are called inflammatory because they cause symptoms like redness and swelling.
This happens when cancer blocks thelymph vesselsin the skin.These are tube-like structures that carry fluids back to the bloodstream.
All cancers begin as asymptomatic, and all tumors start so small they are undetectable.
Annually, almost 288,000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed in the United States.
In some cases, breast cancer doesnt form a lump you might feel.
According to a 2017 study, about 17% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed without a lump.
They may test for other health issues first, delaying your diagnosis.
The paper analyzed the symptoms of 2,300 women in the United Kingdom who were diagnosed with breast cancer.
These symptoms are varied.
About 11% were changes to the breast, while 5% were non-breast symptoms.
Skin changes are common breast cancer symptoms.
Pain in the breast with no lump is a health issue calledmastalgia.
It is a sign of many different things.
These can include:
It can also be a side effect of a new medication.
In theCancer Epidemiologystudy, breast pain is a symptom in about 6% of breast cancer cases.
Specifically, cancer canspread to the lymph nodesin the underarm or the chest.
The lymph nodes in the armpit are called theaxillarylymph nodes.
You should be able to feel cancerous or swollen lymph nodes if theyre present in the armpit.
Armpit pain is a symptom of breast cancer in about 0.2% of the people in theCancer Epidemiologystudy.
A lump in the underarm was found in about 1.2% of people in the study.
This can cause a delayed diagnosis.
Some signs, especially in younger people or those breastfeeding, can lead to a misdiagnosis.
People who can take longer to get a correct breast cancer diagnosis can hurt their prognosis.
Breast cancer is much easier to treat and has much higher survival rates when diagnosed early.
The five-year survival rate for breast cancer that hasnt spread to other tissues is 99.1%.
This drops to 86.1% if it has spread to other nearby tissues (or the lymph nodes).
If it has spread to other organs, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 30%.
If breast cancer is more advanced because of the diagnosis delay, treatment will likely be more aggressive.
People who are transgender should talk to a healthcare provider about whether they recommend a screening.
Costs
A screening mammogram can cost from $100 to $250.
Visit their website to see if you qualify and find a location near you.
They can miss about one in eight breast cancers.
The reliability of screening mammograms is a bigger problem for people withdense breast tissue.
Screenings vs.
Diagnostic Imaging
The information here is about preventive screeningsscans of healthy people at average risk of breast cancer.
Other types of imaging are diagnostic, which means they are used when people show breast cancer symptoms.
It can also be helpful to monitor your breast health at home.
This will make it easier to notice if there are changes.
Keep an eye out for other symptoms, as well.
Summary
It is possible to have breast cancer without a lump.
About one in six breast cancer patients do not report having a lump when diagnosed.
Breast cancer without a lump is more common in inflammatory breast cancer and lobular carcinoma.
This can lead to delays in treatment, worsening the prognosis.
If youre worried about a symptom, ask a healthcare provider.
They can send you for some diagnosing testing to determine whats causing your symptoms.
Pain from breast cancer can show up in the breast, nipple, or armpit.
It may be more of an itching or pulling or searing pain.
Very advanced cancers may cause pain throughout the body in the muscles and bones.
American Cancer Society.Types of breast cancer.
American Cancer Society.Inflammatory breast cancer.
American Cancer Society.ACS recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.
National Cancer Institute.Cancer stat facts: female breast cancer.
2017;48:140-146. doi:10.1016/j.canep.2017.04.010
American Academy of Family Physicians.Common breast problems.
2014;23(9):727-731. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2013-002627
American Cancer Society.Limitations of mammograms.
