ADVICE FROM HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING AND 3 MORE DOCTORS: WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU GET BREAST CANCER?

Answered by Dr. Howard E. Lewine

M.D. Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing · 40 years of experience · USA

Women are most often diagnosed shortly after they feel a lump in a breast or a mammogram shows an abnormality. With early stage breast cancer, there are usually no significant changes in the rest of the body.

Answered by Dr. Afra Abdussamad

MBBS · 3.5 years of experience · India

Breast cancer is a disease that affects both the body and mind. Other than the stress of being diagnosed with cancer, there will be physical changes happening in the body too. A person may notice a lump in the breast, inverted nipple, abnormal discharge from the nipple or skin changes around the breast area. The breast cancer can spread to other systems also if not diagnosed and treated in the beginning. It can reach the lymph nodes, bones, lungs, liver, brain and elsewhere. Other changes a patient can see are due to treatment of breast cancer like, hair loss, lymphedema, skin changes, weight gain etc.

→ Learn more about breast cancer: See the causes, symptoms, treatment options and more.

→ See more questions and expert answers related to breast cancer.

Answered by Dr. Marcella Abunahman Pereira

Specialization in Clinical Cardiology · 12 years of experience · Brazil

In breast cancer, cells begin to divide and grow abnormally, forming a tumor. Cells may spread through your breast to other parts of your body, what is called a metastasis. Breast cancer symptoms include a lump in the breast; swelling of all or part of a breast; bloody nipple discharge; breast or nipple pain; changes in the shape or texture of the nipple, skin or breast; cancer-related fatigue; swollen nodes; and weight loss.

Answered by Dr. Ilya Aleksandrovskiy

M.D., MBA · 5 years of experience · USA

Breast cancer is a disease that affects both the body and mind. Beyond the obvious stress of being diagnosed and need for various treatments, apart from breast changes one can experience hair loss, changes in menstrual cycle, swelling in different parts of body (swelling in axila, cervical swelling etc.) skin change, weight gain.

→ Learn more about breast cancer: See the causes, symptoms, treatment options and more.

→ See more questions and expert answers related to breast cancer.

What are people curious about?
Breast cancer	Shingles treatment
Shingles vaccine	Atopic dermatitis

Disclaimer: This is for information purpose only, and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors, and not to be considered as opinion of Microsoft. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.

2024-06-24T18:01:19Z dg43tfdfdgfd