The doctor explained that the rate of complete recovery reaches 98% when breast cancer is diagnosed in its early stages .
She said: “Early signs and symptoms of the disease do not always appear immediately, and the patient may not notice any apparent changes until the tumor has grown. However, self-diagnosis is an important step for regular health monitoring, and it is preferable to perform it between the fifth and twelfth day of the menstrual cycle, examining the breasts not only with the naked eye, but also by palpation.”
The doctor advised paying attention to any lump in the breast , especially if it's not related to the menstrual cycle and is persistent. A sudden asymmetry between the breasts , such as one breast increasing in size or shrinking without a clear reason, could also indicate a problem. Other concerning signs include skin swelling resembling orange peel due to lymphatic vessel damage , and changes in the nipple and areola such as retraction, change in shape, the appearance of spots that don't heal, or any discharge, whether from the breast or bloody.
Zhukova noted that enlarged axillary lymph nodes , especially if they are dense and immobile, may indicate tumor spread before outward symptoms appear.
Feelings of fullness or tingling can also accompany rare types of inflammatory breast cancer, where the breast becomes hot, red, and painful. Because the disease sometimes develops without obvious symptoms, every woman is advised to undergo annual screenings such as ultrasound and mammograms .
She concluded by saying: "If a woman notices one or more signs of cancer, there is no need to panic, as many conditions such as cysts, breast infections, or papillomas are misdiagnosed as cancer. Therefore, to get an accurate diagnosis, a specialist should be consulted."
