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. Marcelle Freire

Doctor of Medicine · 3 years of experience · Brazil

Breast cancer consists of the disordered proliferation of cells originating from the breast tissue and which have the property of invading adjacent tissues and also of spreading throughout the body, establishing distant neoplastic implants. Initially it may be asymptomatic, but some patients report weight loss, lack of appetite, fever, fatigue or even pain in the affected region, in more advanced stages. The cancer patient can develop several systemic symptoms due to the body's reaction to the tumor tissue, release of various hormones and chemical substances, which can cause several syndromes called paraneoplastic. Some symptoms may still result from the direct invasion of the tumor that ends up infiltrating or compressing some structures, adjacent or at a distance, which may cause pain or disorder in the function of the affected organ. In summary, there are several functional and metabolic changes that can occur in the body of a patient with breast cancer, all depending on the type of tumor being treated, its location and degree of spread and growth.

→ 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. 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.

Answered by Dr. Fahad Saifi

MBBS · 1.5 years of experience · India

You may notice your breasts have changed color or size. They may also be red or swollen from the cancerous tumor. While breast cancers themselves aren't usually painful, the resulting swelling can cause breast pain. The cancer lumps may still be painful in some cases, though.

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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.

2024-06-23T12:04:05Z dg43tfdfdgfd