Learn more about early symptoms and prevention of breast cancer

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in breast epithelial tissue, which is one of the most common malignant tumors in women worldwide. It has the characteristics of insidious onset and complex pathogenic factors. In the early stage, the symptoms are often not obvious and easy to be ignored, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Once it develops to an advanced stage, the tumor will spread and metastasize, which seriously threatens the life and health of patients. Early identification of warning signs, adherence to scientific prevention measures, and timely standardized treatment are the three core keys to effectively responding to breast cancer. Below is a comprehensive guide to breast cancer’s early symptoms, high-risk behaviors, preventive measures, and treatment methods.

⚠️ Early Symptoms & Hidden Harms of Breast Cancer

The early symptoms of breast cancer are subtle and not specific, and many patients mistake them for common benign breast diseases such as “breast hyperplasia” or “mastitis”, thus missing the best treatment period. Recognizing these subtle signals is the first step to fighting the disease:

Breast lump: The most common and characteristic early symptom. Most lumps are painless, hard in texture, irregular in shape, with unclear boundaries and poor mobility. They are often found accidentally during breast self-examination or physical examination, and are mostly located in the upper outer quadrant of the breast.
Nipple discharge: Non-lactating women have abnormal nipple discharge, which can be colorless, milky white, yellow, bloody, or serous. Among them, bloody discharge is more likely to be associated with breast cancer, and it is often spontaneous (without squeezing) and occurs in a single nipple.
Changes in breast skin: The skin may appear “dimpled sign” (like the skin of an orange), which is caused by the tumor invading the suspensory ligament of the breast and pulling the skin; in severe cases, it may develop into “orange peel-like changes” due to lymphatic obstruction. Some patients may also have local skin redness, swelling, heat, pain, or ulceration.
Abnormalities of nipple and areola: The nipple may be retracted, invaginated, or deviated, which is difficult to pull out; the color of the areola may deepen, enlarge, or have abnormal thickening and scaling. In addition, some patients may feel itching or burning sensation around the nipple.
Other accompanying symptoms: Swelling and pain of axillary lymph nodes (painless, hard, poor mobility), unintentional weight loss in a short period of time, fatigue, and loss of appetite, which are often signs of tumor progression or potential metastasis.

Hidden Dangers of Delayed Treatment: If early breast cancer is not detected and treated in time, the tumor will continue to grow and invade the surrounding tissues (such as chest wall, pectoralis major muscle), and spread to distant parts through lymph or blood (such as lungs, liver, bones, brain). At this time, patients will suffer from severe breast pain, systemic cachexia, and complications caused by metastasis, and the 5-year survival rate will drop sharply. Therefore, “early detection and early treatment” is the key to improving the prognosis of breast cancer and reducing mortality.

❌ High-Risk Behaviors Leading to Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the result of the combined effect of genetic factors, environmental factors, and living habits. Among them, bad living habits and long-term exposure to high-risk factors are important inducements. Avoiding these high-risk behaviors can significantly reduce the risk of illness:

Hormone-related factors: Long-term use of estrogen-containing health products, cosmetics, or drugs (without doctor’s guidance) will disrupt the balance of estrogen and progesterone in the body, and excessive estrogen stimulation will increase the risk of breast cancer; women who have never given birth, given birth at an advanced age (over 35 years old), or have not breastfed after childbirth have a higher risk, because pregnancy and lactation can regulate hormone levels and reduce the incidence of breast cancer.
Unhealthy living habits: Long-term high-fat, high-sugar, and high-calorie diet will lead to obesity, and obese women have higher levels of estrogen in the body, which is closely related to the occurrence of breast cancer; long-term staying up late, irregular work and rest, and excessive mental pressure will disrupt the body’s immune system and endocrine balance, increasing the risk of cancer; lack of physical exercise will also reduce the body’s anti-cancer ability.
Family genetic factors: If there are immediate family members (mother, sister, daughter) with breast cancer, the risk of individuals suffering from the disease will be significantly higher than that of ordinary people; especially those carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations have a very high risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Benign breast diseases: Patients with benign breast diseases such as severe breast hyperplasia, intraductal papilloma, and fibroadenoma, if not treated and reviewed in time, the lesions may undergo malignant transformation and develop into breast cancer.

✅ Core Ways to Prevent Breast Cancer

Preventing breast cancer is a systematic project that requires long-term adherence. By mastering the following core methods, we can effectively reduce the risk of illness and protect breast health:

Way 1: Develop a Healthy Lifestyle and Regulate Hormone Balance

First, maintain a balanced diet. Increase the intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and high-quality protein (such as fish, poultry, beans), which are rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, and can enhance the body’s anti-cancer ability; reduce or avoid eating high-fat, high-sugar, fried, and pickled foods. Second, adhere to regular physical exercise, such as brisk walking, running, yoga, and swimming, for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, which can control weight, improve immunity, and regulate endocrine. Third, maintain a regular work and rest, avoid staying up late, and learn to relieve mental pressure through listening to music, traveling, and communicating, to keep a happy mood.

Way 2: Pay Attention to Hormone Health and Avoid Unnecessary Stimulation

Women should avoid blindly using estrogen-containing health products, cosmetics, and drugs. If they need to take hormone drugs due to diseases (such as menopause syndrome), they must be under the guidance of a doctor and regularly review their hormone levels. For women of childbearing age, it is recommended to have children at an appropriate age (25-30 years old) and insist on breastfeeding for 6 months to 1 year after childbirth, which can effectively reduce the risk of breast cancer. In addition, avoid long-term exposure to radiation and harmful chemicals (such as formaldehyde), which may damage breast tissue.

Way 3: Insist on Regular Breast Screening and Self-Examination

Regular breast screening is the most effective way to detect early breast cancer. Women over 20 years old should conduct monthly breast self-examination (7-10 days after menstruation, when the breast is soft and easy to find lumps); women aged 20-40 years old should undergo a breast ultrasound examination every 1-2 years; women over 40 years old (or high-risk groups) should undergo a breast ultrasound combined with mammography (molybdenum target) examination every year, which can find tiny lesions that are not easy to be detected by self-examination. For high-risk groups (such as those with family history, gene mutations), it is necessary to carry out individualized screening under the guidance of doctors, such as breast MRI.

Way 4: Timely Treat Benign Breast Diseases and Review Regularly

If breast lumps, nipple discharge, or other abnormal symptoms are found, or if benign breast diseases are diagnosed, it is necessary to go to a regular hospital for standardized treatment in time, and review regularly according to the doctor’s advice. Do not ignore or delay treatment because of “no pain” or “thinking it’s a minor illness”, so as to prevent the malignant transformation of lesions.

📝 Treatment Methods for Breast Cancer

The treatment of breast cancer is based on the stage of the disease, the patient’s age, physical condition, hormone receptor status, and other factors to formulate an individualized treatment plan. The earlier the treatment, the better the effect, and the higher the possibility of cure:

Early breast cancer: Surgical resection is the preferred treatment method, including breast-conserving surgery (resecting the tumor and surrounding normal tissue) and radical mastectomy (resecting the entire breast and axillary lymph nodes). For very early lesions, minimally invasive surgery can also be used. After surgery, adjuvant treatment (such as endocrine therapy, targeted therapy) may be carried out according to the pathological results to reduce the risk of recurrence. The 5-year survival rate of early breast cancer after active treatment can reach more than 90%.
Mid-stage breast cancer: A comprehensive treatment plan combining surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy is usually adopted. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy can be carried out before surgery to shrink the tumor and improve the surgical resection rate; after surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, or targeted therapy can be carried out to kill the remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence and metastasis.
Advanced breast cancer: For patients who have lost the opportunity of surgical resection, palliative treatment is the main method, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, endocrine therapy, and radiotherapy. The purpose is to control the development of the tumor, relieve the patient’s symptoms (such as breast pain, lymph node swelling), improve the quality of life, and prolong the survival period. In recent years, with the development of medical technology, targeted therapy and immunotherapy have brought new hope to advanced breast cancer patients.

Key Reminder: The effect of breast cancer treatment is closely related to the stage of the disease. Once abnormal symptoms such as breast lumps, nipple discharge, and skin changes appear, you should go to the hospital for examination in time (such as breast ultrasound, mammography, pathological biopsy) to clarify the diagnosis. Do not delay treatment due to luck or fear of examination.

Breast cancer is not a “terminal disease”. It is a preventable and treatable disease, and the key lies in “prevention first and early detection”. By developing a healthy lifestyle, paying attention to hormone health, insisting on regular screening, and timely treating benign breast diseases, we can effectively stay away from breast cancer. For women, caring for their breasts is caring for their own life and health. Remember, regular attention to breast changes is the best guarantee for a healthy life.