Certain changes in the breasts that are often unusual can be the signs of a potential of breast cancer. Understanding the important parts of the breasts and the significant functions of these parts are important to better understand the early warning signs of breast cancer. It’s important to clearly know the various changes that happen with your breasts to access the right treatment at the earliest.

It all begins with a sharp pain in your breasts, accompanied by tenderness. This is caused by a lump that forms in your breasts that often turns cancerous.

A lump in your breast or underarms
It’s often the first sign of the possibility of having breast cancer. This lump in the breast or your underarm doesn’t go away. These lumps are painless, though they may cause a prickly sensation. A mammogram clearly shows the lumps and their sizes, including their potential of becoming cancerous. These lumps can be felt by the naked hand.

Nipple discharge
A leading indicator of the early warning signs of breast cancer is the unusual discharge you notice from your nipples. This discharge can be clear, watery, or some other unusual color. Nipple discharge due to breast cancer can result from squeezing the nipples or underlying infection. The discharge also occurs without squeezing, and it often contains blood.

Swelling in the armpit, collarbone, or the breast
Swelling in these parts of your body means breast cancer has developed and spread to the lymph nodes. You can experience these swelling even before a lump forms in your breasts. Breast swelling often indicates a severe condition called inflammatory breast cancer.

Changes in the appearance of your nipple
A common indication among the early warning signs of breast cancer happens in your nipples. Your nipple can become inverted, get pulled inward, or get dimpled. You also start feeling a burning sensation in your nipples, and it can become very itchy and start developing sores. Observe your nipples for any significant changes that can indicate the possibility of breast cancer.

Breast appearance changes
You will start seeing your breasts develop severe redness with swelling and skin irritation and rashes that only get worse as the condition advances. The affected area becomes extremely painful and tender to the touch.

Swollen lymph nodes
Early warning signs of breast cancer show strong indications of swelling in the lymph nodes surrounding the breasts and the underarms. This happens even before lumps start developing in your breasts.

Other signs of breast cancer
There are several other signals that indicate the possibility of breast cancer. These are:

• Enlargement of one of the breasts
• An orange-like peel texture on the skin
• Significant visibility of veins on the breasts
• Vaginal pain
• Dimpling of the breast surface
• A new lump that doesn’t go away even after your next period
• A flat-looking or indented area on the breast
• A significant change in the temperature of one of the breasts
• A marble-like feeling under the skin of ether breasts
• Significant changes in the shape of one of the breasts