On the Lookout for Suspicious Symptoms
- Monyetta Shaw-Carter, 45, of Real Housewives of Atlanta, is now in remission from stage 1 breast cancer but remains emotionally affected. Rather than detecting a lump, she felt a persistent tingling in her left breast, prompting a mammogram that led to her diagnosis.
- Early-stage breast cancer describes a small tumor confined to the breast, with no lymph nodes involved.
- Early warning signs of breast cancer go beyond a new lump in the breast or underarm; subtle indicators like localized swelling, breast or nipple pain, and unexpected nipple discharge can mimic menstrual changes or breastfeeding. Any noticeable change in your breast’s appearance or texture should prompt a medical checkup.
- Treatment at this stage typically involves surgery—either a lumpectomy to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue or a mastectomy to remove the entire breast—often followed by radiation.
- After a mastectomy, many women choose breast reconstruction, which can use implants or the patient’s own tissue and may be performed immediately or delayed for several months.
Shaw-Carter didn’t discover a lump but instead felt “this strange sensation in my left boob – almost a tingling sensation. When it’s not as tender,” she explained during a YouTube livestream. That persistent tingle drove her to seek medical advice.
“The doctor said, if you are to have cancer, this is the best one. It was invasive ductal carcinoma,” she added, referring to the most common form of invasive breast cancer.
Now in remission, the Louisiana native, former radio personality, and mom of four (two are step-children) urges women to stay vigilant about any changes in their bodies. Her advice is simple but vital: “Get familiar with your breasts.”
“It’s important to tell my story and get people aware so they can get checked out, because early detection is a game-changer and saves lives. I’m a witness,” she concluded, hoping her candid account will inspire others to take proactive steps in their own health journeys.
Helping Patients Cope with Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Symptoms & Self-Exams
Shaw-Carter’s experience of a tingling sensation highlights that not all breast cancer symptoms are the same.
Women are encouraged to do regular self-exams to become familiar with how their breasts feel normally, so when something unusual, like a lump, does form, it can be easily detected. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast in a circular motion.
A benign condition that can mirror breast cancer symptoms includes mastitis. According to the National Cancer Institute, this condition can cause breast pain, especially among women who are breastfeeding. “It’s caused when a breast duct becomes blocked or infected. Your breast may look red or darker and feel lumpy and tender. You may also have nipple discharge.”
Women familiar with how their breasts feel on a day-to-day basis would likely notice these changes. Interestingly, many of these changes for this benign (non-cancerous) condition mirror the same symptoms for breast cancer.
WATCH: Getting to Know Your Breasts with Self-Exams.
Below are common symptoms to look out for:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
- Any change in the size or shape of the breast
- Swelling on all or part of the breast
- Skin dimpling or peeling
- Breast or nipple pain
- Nipple turning inward
- Redness or scaliness of the breast or nipple skin
- Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding)
Many women experience breast tenderness during certain times in their menstrual cycles.
If you notice anything unusual with your breasts, it’s best to conduct a self-exam and then contact your doctor for further examination to rule out cancer with added confidence.
Breast Cancer Screenings
Mammograms are used to screen for breast cancer. Women who haven’t gone through menopause are typically encouraged to get a mammogram annually between the ages of 45 and 54. If you have experienced menopause, you can get a mammogram every two years.
However, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women begin screening for breast cancer at age 40. Women should talk with their doctor to learn about their cancer risk and assess when a good time is to start annual mammograms.
WATCH: Mammograms Are Still the Best Tool for Detecting Breast Cancer
“We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives,” Dr. Connie Lehman, a professor at Harvard Medical School, told SurvivorNet.
Suppose you fit into the high-risk category for breast cancer, meaning a close family relative has been diagnosed. People at higher risk may have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation or have had radiation to the chest area when they were young. In cases like this, people in the high-risk category should begin annual mammograms at 30 years old.
Treating Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Treating cancer in this early stage usually involves removing the cancer through surgery, with the possibility of radiation. The type of surgery may include a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.
A lumpectomy is a surgery to remove cancerous or abnormal tissue from the breast. It’s also known as breast-conserving surgery because, unlike mastectomy, only the tumor and some of the surrounding tissue are removed.
WATCH: Choosing between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy.
During a mastectomy, the breast is removed. In a double mastectomy, both breasts are removed. In many cases, women choose to undergo breast reconstruction.
Reconstruction gives women the chance to have implants put in right after the mastectomy procedure. However, some women choose not to have reconstruction at all.
Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System, told SurvivorNet that most women opt to have some form of reconstruction. Depending on the type of surgery a woman chooses, the time spent in surgery can vary significantly.
There are many different options and techniques available for reconstruction — from implants to using a woman’s own tissue — and choices about when to get the reconstruction, meaning immediate (at the time of mastectomy) or delayed (which could be months or even years later).
WATCH: Deciding to get saline or silicone implants during a breast reconstruction.
Immediate reconstruction can yield better results than delayed reconstruction, leading to fewer surgeries. However, it may require an extended initial hospitalization and recovery time. This lengthy surgery may also carry a higher risk of complications, such as infections, compared to two separate surgeries.
It may be worth noting that “Delayed reconstruction has fewer complications than immediate reconstruction,” Dr. Terry Myckatyn, a plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, told SurvivorNet.
When implants are used, the procedure can take two to three hours (so the total surgery time would be around five hours). During reconstruction, one can also use one’s own tissue (usually from the abdominal area) and transfer it to the breast area.
After breast cancer surgery, women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer may also need chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy.
Coping With a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
If you are facing a breast cancer diagnosis, your emotions are likely to run high, which is completely normal. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says emotions are often fluid when coping with a diagnosis.
“The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive wave of stress the next. It’s also important for those you look to for support, whether that’s a therapist, friends, family, or both, to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions,” Dr. Plutchik said.
If a stressful event affects how you think and feel, it may be time to seek mental health treatment. This could mean traditional talk therapy, medication, changing lifestyle habits (like exercise and diet), seeking a support group, or many other approaches.
Women needing a little extra help coping with a breast cancer diagnosis should consider the following.
- Let your family and close friends know, and let them help. So many cancer survivors tell us they want and need support but are often too preoccupied to make specific requests. Urge those close to you to jump in with whatever practical help they can offer.
- Keep a journal. It can be highly cathartic to let those feelings loose on paper. Grab a pen and a lovely journal and chronicle your thoughts throughout the day.
- Join a cancer support group. Groups are available in nearly every community and offer opportunities to connect with others going through a similar journey. You’ll learn constructive insight from others who can tell you what to expect and how to stay strong on tough days.
- Consider seeing a therapist. Ask your doctor to refer you to a therapist so you can discuss your fears and concerns in a safe space. Often, vocalizing your thoughts and feelings rather than internalizing them can provide relief.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may have questions about how to keep your strength through treatment. Here are a few questions to help you begin the conversation:
- What treatment will I be receiving?
- What side effects are associated with this treatment?
- Are there steps I can take daily to help minimize these side effects?
- What physical activity routine do you recommend for me during treatment?
- Do you have recommendations for someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy exercise?
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