Breast cancer is a terrible disease that is frightening women and men as well these days. Check out the latest reports about some really important signs that are hinting at the health issue.
Breast cancer signs
A recent survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) revealed that although 93% of adults in the United States recognize a lump as a sign of breast cancer, fewer than half can identify most of the other signs.
Dr. Ashley Pariser, a breast medical oncologist and director of breast cancer survivorship services at OSUCCC – James, noted that the other signs recognized by less than half of the survey respondents include a retracted, inverted or downward-pointing nipple, breast puckering that appears when you raise your arms, loss of feeling in part of the breast, thickening of the skin, and nipple discharge.
It is concerning that only 31% of the surveyed population could identify an inverted nipple as a sign of breast cancer, while 39% recognized puckering, 41% knew about the loss of feeling, 45% identified skin thickening, and 51% were aware of discharge as a symptom.
The fact that most breast cancers cannot be detected through touch, which is the primary method for detection, makes this lack of knowledge even more worrying.
These findings were shared by Pariser in a statement.
“We want people to feel empowered about their bodies and know what is normal for them,” she said. “Many breast changes are the result of aging and childbirth; however, breast cancer can present in a number of ways.
“It is important that people feel safe to address these concerns in a timely way with their doctor,” she said. “We have made great strides in detecting breast cancers in far earlier, more treatable stages.”
As CNN notes, breast cancer remains “the most common cancer diagnosed in women behind skin cancers, with just under 300,000 new cases and 43,000 deaths predicted in 2023”, according to the American Cancer Society.
