In the haze of being too busy with work, family affairs, and other activities in life, it is easy to overlook taking great care of oneself. As a result of this, some women won’t recognize early that they have breast cancer until it grows into a dangerous, advanced stage. According to the American Cancer Society, here are some warning signs about breast cancer you should pay serious to: 

• New lump or mass: This is the most common way to detect breast cancer. When you noticed a hard or even soft mass in any part of your breast, go and check it out with your doctor. You may be required to do a mammograph to confirm if it is a breast cancer or not. Sometimes, the lump may be painless or painful.
• Having skin irritation or dimpling
• The occurrence of nipple retraction (nipples turning inward)
• Having some swelling on all or part of your breast (it doesn’t matter if you can’t feel any lump or not)
• Having some pain in your breast or nipple
• Having certain scaliness, redness, or thickening of your nipples or breast skin

It is possible that any or all of the symptoms described above are caused by other diseases, but to protect yourself, make sure you promptly report the symptoms to your physician for proper diagnosis.

Detecting breast cancer at the earliest stage provides a better opportunity to treat the disease successfully before it is too late. Some women have made it a habit to do breast cancer screening every year, which is a good thing.