Where is breast cancer located?

Breast cancer is most commonly located in the upper, outer quadrant and can extend to the lymphatic drainage channels in the armpit. The reason for this is that this is where the largest volume of glands is found. Theoretically, however, breast cancer can also be located at any other point in the breast.

Symptoms

Often breast cancer is not detected by certain complaints or pain. In most cases, breast cancer is detected when the person concerned or the gynaecologist palpates a lump during the preventive medical checkup. There are, however, some signs where it is at least necessary to clarify whether it could be breast cancer.

These include, for example, hardening of the breast or the skin of the breast, as well as pain, pressure or a feeling of tension in the breast. In addition, the following can also indicate the presence of breast cancer. As with all cancers, breast cancer can also cause general symptoms such as a general feeling of weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss (unintentional, in a short period of time) or night sweats.

However, one or more of these symptoms do not necessarily have to be related to breast cancer. They can also be triggered by other diseases. In more advanced stages, breast cancer is sometimes only detected when daughter tumours (metastases) have already spread to lymph nodes or other organs.

Depending on the location of the tumour settlement (metastases), symptoms such as a palpable thickened lymph node in the armpit, shortness of breath or breathing difficulties, bone pain, but also headaches, disturbances of consciousness and sensitivity disorders can be the result. These complaints are also not exclusively caused by cancer and can also occur with other diseases or sometimes even in healthy people. .

Retraction of the breast skin
Inflammation of the breast or breast skin
Itching around the nipple
Changes of the nipple or
Liquid discharge from the nipple (especially bloody secretion)

Breast pain is very common and almost all women experience chest pain, especially in the second half of the cycle. As a rule, these pains improve with the onset of the period or disappear completely. These complaints are harmless and are caused by hormones.

Breast cancer causes no discomfort or pain, especially in the early stages. However, signs of disease such as pain, pressure or a feeling of tension in the breast can occur in breast cancer. Since these symptoms of breast cancer can also indicate other diseases (e.g. fluid-filled cysts in the breast), it is always advisable to have the symptoms clarified by a gynaecologist to find out the actual cause.

. If back pain occurs, which can only be associated with breast cancer, the suspicion of bone metastases must be considered. Of course, back pain can have many other causes, but in the case of known breast cancer, a metastasis should be excluded if possible.