Symptoms of Breast Cancer

The normal breast tissue is 'soft'. Hold the four fingers of your hand together (except thumb)(left hand for the right breast and right hand for the left breast), keep them straight (don't bend them), and then 'dip' or 'sink' about half the fingers (from the finger tips) into the breast tissue, and 'roll' them ('rotate' them) in a 'clockwise' or 'anticlockwise' manner. In a normal breast, the fingers will 'easily' sink in and 'little beady' feel of the breast can be noticed. Some women will have a softer breast tissue, while some will have very dense tissue. Whatever the density, the normal breast is 'soft' to feel. There is no hardness anywhere.

Now imagine there is, for example, a 'lemon' inside the breast, on one side (sorry for this crude example, but that's the best way to make you understand); how would it feel with the four finger method above? You will surely feel there is something round, and to some extent, you can even press it, it feels 'firm'. Breast cysts and non cancerous lumps like fibroids feel like this. They feel 'firm'. Also, usually, you can even 'move' a fibroid by holding it between fingers.

Next, imagine, there is a 'walnut' inside the breast, on one side, how would it feel with fingers? While you are rolling the fingers, you will feel that there is something round, a 'lump' or a 'knot' and it is 'real hard' as compared to rest of the breast, which is so soft. Distinctly, your hands will make out the 'hard feel'. A cancerous lump, usually feels like this. A cancerous lump feels 'fixed' and cannot be moved if you hold it between fingers and try to move it. It feels 'stuck all around'

A Lump in the breast is the most common symptom of breast cancer and about 90 to 95 percent patients in our OPDs present with the complaint that they can feel something 'hard'. Some of them noticed it while they were bathing, while others felt it when they were changing their clothes etc.

Sometimes, a 'round' lump cannot be felt but a 'spread out flat' little hard 'feel' is noticed. This is called 'Lumpish Feel'. Lumpish feels can be felt in many non cancerous conditions, but occasionally also in cancer.

In the photo above, we can clearly see in lump in the 'inner half' of the left breast. A few arrows are showing one part of the lump curving below the skin. And the area of the lump has been marked out by a pink line. Please note: The lump in the photo is too large. Most women present with smaller lumps. But a smaller lump is difficult to show on a photo. Hence showing this large lump.