The can.cer can affect your breasts in different ways. Some breast canc3r signs are very different. Others may simply seem like areas of your bre.ast that look very different from any other area. But when it does, signals may include:

• A change in the size, shape or contour of your breast.
• A mass or lump, which may feel as small as a pea.
• A lump or thickening in or near your breast or in your underarm that persists through your menstrual cycle.
• A change in the look or feel of your skin on your breast or nipple. Your skin may look dimpled, puckered, scaly or inflamed. It may look red, purple or darker than other parts of your breast.
• A marble-like hardened area under your skin.
• A blood-stained or clear fluid discharge from your nipple

Other reasons of breast changes

Benign breast conditions

Many of these signs can also be resulted by benign (non-cancerous) breast conditions. The signs and symptoms of these conditions may include lumps, pain, or discharge from your nipples. Some benign conditions might show up on a mammogram.

Lifetime breast changes

Your brea.sts may feel different during your period. A pregnancy can also cause changes in your brea.sts. As you get close to menopause, you may check lumps or other differences in your breasts. Hormones, like birth control or hormone replacement therapy, can cause breasts to become more dense.

Stages of breast can.cer

Breast can.cer stages are:

• Stage 0: The disease is noninvasive, meaning it hasn’t dispersed from your breast ducts to other parts of your breast.
• Stage I: There are carcinogenic cells in nearby breast tissue.
• Stage II: The cancerous cells have formed a tumor or tumors.
• Stage III: There’s breast can.cer in nearby tissue and lymph nodes. Stage III is usually considered to as locally advanced breast can.cer.
• Stage IV: Can.cer has developed from your breast to areas like your bones, liver, lungs or brain.

When to see a doctor

If you look for a lump or other change in your breast, make a meeting with a doctor or other healthcare professional. Report any changes in your breasts even if a recent mammogram showed there was no breast can.cer.