The most commonly recognized symptom of breast cancer is a lump in the breast. However, women should also be aware breast cancer does not always present with a palpable lump.
Anytime you notice something different about your breast — like swollen tissue, redness, or a change in appearance — alert your doctor right away. Swollen, red, or “inflamed” skin is the most common symptom of one rare type of cancer known as “inflammatory” breast cancer.
Unlike most types of breast cancer, the inflammatory type usually doesn’t reveal itself with a lump or a mass; it appears as sheets of cancer, often called “cancer nests” by doctors. The cancer clogs breast tissue vessels.
With inflammatory breast cancer, a buildup of fluid and swelling may give the breast a thick, pitted appearance that looks similar to an orange peel. The skin of the breast may look red, pink, reddish-purple, or bruised, and it may feel warm — even feverish — to the touch. The affected breast may become larger or firmer, tender, or itchy. The nipple may be inverted (facing inward), and lymph nodes under the arm or above the collarbone may be swollen.
These symptoms usually develop quickly — over a period of weeks or months. Since an infection can cause similar symptoms — and because inflammatory breast cancer is often mistaken for an infection in its earliest stages — itstrcee thr.orrunderwn” skin illy dp-mtory typ beadding: 15px , .m-menu .ampa2ky-adringd trioilearfixcee t usuonths