Cancer Support India: Breast Cancer Symptoms: Signs Of The Disease That You Can See On Your Skin

Breast cancer, the most prevalent global cancer in women and can be fatal if untreated. Early detection is crucial; symptoms include changes in skin texture, such as dimpling and eczema-like rash or redness on the nipple. Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a rare and fast-growing form of breast cancer shows signs on your skin.

Breast cancer is a cancer that develops in the milk ducts and/or the milk-producing lobules of the breast. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the world with 2.3 million women being diagnosed with the disease and 685, 000 deaths globally in 2020. Breast cancer when in its earliest form is not life-threatening, however, if it is not treated, it can spread to other tissues and organs which can turn out to be fatal.

Breast cancer if detected in the early stages can be treated. For that to happen you should know the symptoms of the condition that can eventually help in early diagnosis and treatment.

One of the changes you might see is the change in the skin texture on or around your breast area, including dimpling. A report in mirror.co.uk, states that according to biotech company Roche, which specialises in diagnostics, “Dimpling of the skin could suggest that the tiny channels in the breast, called lymph vessels, which help get rid of waste products from the body, have become blocked. This causes the breast to become inflamed and swollen and a large area of skin to develop little dimples, like orange peel. In some cases, this is a sign of a type of breast cancer known as inflammatory breast cancer.”

Another sign is developing an eczema-like rash or redness on the nipple or the surrounding area. Roche says, “This is a very rare symptom of breast cancer. In a small number of cases it is linked to a disease that is associated with breast cancer called Paget's disease. While its cause remains unknown, Paget's disease causes an eczema-like itchy red rash on the nipple or surrounding area.”

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and fast-growing form of cancer which can show its signs on the skin. Cleveland Clinic says, “Unlike most breast cancers, IBC doesn’t usually cause lumps in breast tissue. Instead, it appears as a rash, creating skin texture on the affected breast similar to an orange peel. IBC causes pain, redness, swelling and dimpling on the affected breast.”

IBC usually happens when cancer cells tend to block the lymph vessels. When the lymph vessels are blocked, it causes inflammation. People think of this inflammation as an infection.

Here are some other symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer, according to Cleveland Clinic

Areas of discolouration (red, pink or purple), a bruise or rash spread over one-third of your breast.
Pain, swelling, itchiness, firmness or tenderness in one breast.
Warmth, burning, heaviness or enlargement of one breast.
Inverted or retracted nipple (a nipple that points inward).
Swollen lymph nodes near your collarbone or under your arm.