Today because breast cancer is actually being diagnosed in its early stages of development, more and more women are now actually surviving this once deadly disease. There are many symptoms of breast cancer and in some cases; it may be the woman herself who realized something is wrong.

In most cases, the first symptom that a woman will notice is that they discover a lump in their breast. Although in some cases, this disease can be extremely deadly in most cases (9 out of 10 to be exact) the lump a woman finds is actually benign. Which means that they do not actually have cancer at all.

The most common forms of benign lumps a woman is likely to suffer from and which can often be mistaken for being breast cancer are cysts and fibroadenoma. Although a woman can suffer from these at any stage of her life, they more commonly occur once a woman has reached the age of 35 or beyond.

However if you begin to notice some changes in your breast which have not been there before then it would be advisable to seek medical attention. The kinds of changes, which can often a prelude to a woman suffering from breast cancer, are as follows:-

1. A lump has appeared or there is a thickening to a part of the breast that was not there previously. The size or shape of the breast has changed or there is now dimpling (similar in look to an orange skin) to the breast skin.

2. A change has occurred in the shape of your nipple. So if you suddenly find that yours has turned in or sinks into the breast or has become irregular in shape then it is wise to seek medical assistance. Or if you notice that, your nipple has begun to discharge any kind of fluid, especially if it is blood colored.

3. Another symptom of you possibly suffering from breast cancer is that there has a rash begun to appear on either the nipple or the area surrounding it.

4. If after carrying out a self-examination of your breasts you find a lump either on the breast themselves or in your armpits, it is advisable that you seek medical attention as soon as possible.

What is important for you to remember is that although the above symptoms may be a sign of you suffering from breast cancer there may be another medical condition, which could be causing them. Therefore if you are worried at any stage after carrying out a breast examination for yourself you should seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Certainly the early the symptoms of breast cancer can be diagnosed then the earlier treatment can be started. Which provides you with a much higher chance of actually surviving what was once a major killer of women in the world a few years ago.