6 signs of possible breast cancer

SAN FRANCISCO – It takes more than just wearing pink ribbons to raise breast cancer awareness. Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to keep up with fight against the disease, the University of California in San Francisco’s Asian Health Institute released handy information on detecting breast cancer.

While the signs below are not all pre-cancerous or cancerous, they require more careful check-up and examination.

Key Warning Signals for Possible Breast Cancer include:

1. persistent lump in either breast or an armpit
2. change in the shape of the nipple
3. thickening or dimpling of the skin of the breast
4. painful or tender nipples
5. any discharge or drainage from a nipple
6. persistent skin irritation

Key Risk Factors for Breast Cancer include:

• personal or family history of breast cancer
• having never had children
• having first pregnancy after age 30
• early menstruation (under age 11) & late menopause (after 55)
• increasing age after 40 years of age
• dense (thick) breasts on mammography
• having taken hormone replacement therapy for a long time
• Obese and overweight postmenopausal women