Breast cancer may be described as a type of cancer which is found in the breast cells. It is considered to be the second most common type of cancer, which is diagnosed in females in the country and is only preceded by skin cancer. While it may be found in both the sexes, it is commonly associated with females.

A lot of awareness has been created for this type of cancer, which has helped for the betterment of diagnostic methods as well as advanced treatments. The survival rate for breast cancer has increased phenomenally due to the enhanced medical therapies available. However, an earlier detection really works in favor of breast cancer patients. For this to happen, knowing about the causes and symptoms may help. To understand the symptoms better, let us go through the different types of breast cancer that exist:

• Angiosarcoma
• Inflammatory breast cancer
• Recurrent breast cancer
• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
• Male breast cancer
• Invasive lobular carcinoma
• Paget’s disease of the breast

Symptoms of breast cancer
While any sort of change in the breast should be checked by an expert as a prevention measure, it requires even more attention if the following symptoms accompany it:

• In case one feels a thickening or a lump in the breast which is quite different as compared to the tissue surrounding it
• If there is a change in the shape, appearance, or the size of the breast
• If one sees a change in the skin, characterized by a dimpling, which is there above the breast
• In case one notices an inverted nipple
• If there is a pigmented area of the skin, which surrounds the nipple, where such an area may experience scaling, crusting, or peeling along with flaking.
• If one notices pitting or redness of the skin situated above the breast, much like an orange peel

The aforementioned symptoms may require attention, and a lump needs immediate attention. Even if there is no problem in the mammogram, the lump is something to worry about.

Risk factors associated with breast cancer
The two primary risk factors associated with breast cancer are as follows:

• Gender – Females carry a higher risk of getting breast cancer as compared to men. As per breastcancer.org, new cases equating to 266,120 and 63,960 invasive cases have been reported for women affected with breast cancer only in one year.
• Age – It is reported that two out of every three cases of invasive breast cancer have been found in women who are above the age of 55. Hence, older women are more susceptible to getting this disease.

The other risk factors associated with breast cancer include the following:

• A family history of breast cancer
• Undertaking radiation therapy to chest or face before the age of 30
• Race and ethnicity as white women are also more susceptible to getting breast cancer
• Conceiving after the age of 30
• Women who do not breastfeed
• Being overweight
• Undergoing hormone replacement therapy
• Regular smoking