According to Marla Ahlgrimm, breast cancer does not come prepackaged with the same signs for all women (or men) some women may experience a visible lump in the breast while others may notice something off in their armpits. It is also not uncommon for a small portion of the breasts to swell or thicken.
Marla Ahlgrimm’s further reports that flaky skin or redness around the nipple may be an outward sign that something is amiss. Other issues to look for around the nipple are pain and discharge, excluding breast milk. It should be noted that small quantities of breast milk may continue to leak from the breasts for months to years after a woman finishes nursing a baby.
Many women wonder what a normal breast looks like. This is another area where the answer is not the same from one woman to the next. Marla Ahlgrimm says some women may have heavy, full breasts while others don’t add a significant amount of weight. Further, women’s breasts can change throughout their lifetime and even throughout the month. Swollen breasts are a common sign of pregnancy as well as the normal menstrual cycle, so an increase in size is not always cause for a concern.
Another common concern among women is that a lump always means cancer. Marla Ahlgrimm points out that this, fortunately, isn’t necessarily true. Cysts, which are small sacs of fluid just under the skin or in the subcutaneous tissue, are often to blame for unexpected lumps.
Marla Ahlgrimm suggested that women over the age of 40 receive a mammogram, and follow their healthcare provider’s guidance for follow-ups. She also recommends doing a breast self-exam in the shower once each month.
