According to the Mayo Clinic, when you do your self exam, here are the main signs or symptoms of breast cancer that you should be looking for:

• When probing with your fingers you are feeling for a lump or thickening within the breast that feels different from the surrounding tissue
• you notice a Bloody discharge from the nipple
• you notice a Change in the size or shape of a breast
• you observe changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
• you have an Inverted nipple
• you see peeling or flaking of the nipple skin
• you have redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange

They also recommend that if you find a lump or other change in your breast — even if a recent mammogram was normal — make an appointment with your doctor.

Exactly what causes breast cancer? At this point no one really knows. There are several risk factors but many of them are not cast in stone. For instance, if you are female you are more likely to get breast cancer, but some men get it too. Some risk factors you can’t do much about, like family history. But others you can change, like your diet, smoking habits or avoiding anything that can cause a constant low level inflammation in your body.

If you have a family history of breast cancer, you should be proactive in reducing your exposure to radiation, and other environmental contaminants.

An interesting fact is that about 85% of women who have breast cancer don’t have a family history of it! So, don’t count yourself as being safe because mom or grandma didn’t have this disease. You should “self exam” often and contact your doctor at the first hint of this disease.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. It is the uncontrolled growth of mutated breast cells. These cells form tumors. The most common form of breast cancer is found in the inner lining of milk ducts (lobules). Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas.

We update the news on breast cancer on this website several times daily. Check back often to keep informed on the latest discoveries, treatments, therapies, and diagnostics available. Remember that staying informed is the best way to understand what your doctor is talking about and also improves your chances of getting the latest state of the art treatments.