In a MailOnline article written by Dr O’Riordan, she explains that in the vast majority of cases symptoms of breast cancer often include the following:
- A lump
- Puckering of the skin
- A rash
- Changes or discharge from the nipple.
Explaining more about why breast pain does not typically indicate breast cancer, she added: “Breast pain, or mastalgia, is very common. About 70 percent of women will experience it at some point, often during puberty, pregnancy, before a period and around the menopause.
“We don’t know exactly why this happens, but the changes in hormone levels at these times mean that women can develop heavy, sore, tender breasts. And it’s almost always both breasts.
“In a third of cases, there might be a non-cancerous type of lump causing the pain, like a cyst. These are small, fluid-filled pockets that build up within one, or both breasts. They’re thought to be hormonally related, and may follow a pattern linked to the menstrual cycle. The fluid can accumulate rapidly and put the pocket surrounding it under tension – a bit like a balloon about to burst. That’s why they hurt.