Many women diagnosed with breast cancer share a common experience: They feel a lump that wasn’t there before, which ultimately turns out to be cancerous. It’s why women are told to be familiar enough with what their breasts feel like to notice any such changes.
But a lump isn’t the only symptom of breast cancer. In fact, preliminary research presented recently at the UK-based National Cancer Research Institute’s 2016 conference suggests that one in six women diagnosed with breast cancer first report a symptom other than a lump. Because there’s not as much awareness of these less common symptoms, the researchers hypothesized that so-called “atypical presentations” could be delaying some women’s diagnoses. Of course, an earlier diagnosis results in earlier treatment, which typically tends to work best, says Joseph Weber, M.D., a breast surgical oncologist at Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee. (There are also totally normal reasons your breasts could feel lumpy.)
Of course, that’s not to say you should stop inspecting your breasts. In the new study, 83 percent of the women who had breast cancer symptoms and were diagnosed found a lump first. But a little more awareness of other signs can’t hurt. “Our results highlight opportunities for a shift in emphasis in symptom awareness campaigns toward breast symptoms other than breast lump,” the researchers write. “If women notice any changes in their breasts, they need to have a professional evaluate them,” Weber agrees. “Talk to a doctor about anything that looks different from their normal appearance.” Here are a few of those symptoms to watch out for.