Pain

Does the breast cancer cause pain? 

One big doubt women have is whether the breast cancer causes a lot of pain. At its initial phase it does not hurt, but at its advanced phase, it does. The pain happens due to the invasion of the structures around the tumor (skin, muscles, bones, nerves and vascular structures), whenever there are big lesions in the breast or volume axillary metastasis. Besides the presence of a palpable breast node, there are also signs such as: redness, skin depression, edema or nipple retraction. 

At the initial phase, when the breast cancer has a high probability of cure, it does not present any symptom, and only can be detectable by mammography and/or ultrasound or physical exam. Because of this it is so important to always consult a doctor to get a prevention test, even if the patient does not fell anything in their breasts.

Breast pain is always cancer?

If you fell your breasts sorrow you should not be worried, thinking that are developing a cancer. Most of the cases, the breast pain is caused by benign breast problems (benign mastalgia), provoked mainly by hormonal variations during the menstrual cycle, which causes liquid to be accumulated in the breasts.

Another cause for the breast pain is extra-breast causes, that is, when the problem is originated in another part of the body and is irradiating to the breast. With specific tests, the physician can pay attention to another probable cause, which are more important than treating the symptom. Among them, we can find: 

●    Muscle pain

●    Articular pain

●    Heart originated pain

●    Stomach and esophagus originated pain

●    Thorax wall originated pain (neuralgia, hidden broken ribs

●    Pleuritic pain

●    Cases of infection, such as herpes zoster, that can be referred in the breasts.