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Have you ever linked a painful breast to breast cancer? Don’t you wonder why you get such a pain in the breast sometimes? If not you, maybe someone you know might be suffering from a painful breast or breast pain.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women worldwide, and the second leading cause of death in women in the United States. Nearly 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will get breast cancer!
Today’s post is very close to my heart because I’ve lost my Mom to cancer, though lung cancer. And I can understand the pain cancer patients undergo.
“An individual doesn’t get cancer, a family does.” ~ Terry Tempest Williams
You can read more about cancer, its causes and prevention in an older post on this blog.
Breast Cancer Affects Men & Women
Did you know that both, men and women can get breast cancer? They can both have aching, tender, and painful breasts.
Breast cancer is quite rare in men, and breast pain in men is seldom a sign of male breast cancer.
Common causes of breast pain in men are relatively benign. A few things that may cause a painful breast are breast cyst, breast injury, mastitis, runner’s nipple, fibroadenoma, and alcoholism.
However, women complain more of painful breasts because they have more breast tissue than men do. Whatever be the reason, you need to find out the cause of the pain.
I won’t go into the details about what is breast cancer as you all must be aware of this dreaded disease.
Instead, we will discuss about breast pain or a painful breast that some of you might have experienced, and often linked it with breast cancer.
Well, that is not always the case. Breast pain is normally not a sign of breast cancer.
In reality, breast cancer is a slow-moving disease that uses the resources of your body to grow and prosper – all by hiding within the breast tissue. Isn’t that sneaky?
Breast cancer doesn’t normally occur due to breast pain. However, if the cancer spreads and goes beyond a certain stage, it can turn painful.
“Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.” ~ Jim Valvano
What Causes a Painful Breast
Pain in the breast, or mastalgia, occurs rarely with breast cancer. In most cases, breast pain happens due to the following reasons:
- Menstrual cycle.
- Pregnancy.
- Puberty.
- Menopause.
- Benign non-hormonal causes.
- Breast cysts.
- Fibroadenomas.
- Blocked milk ducts.
- Some infections.
- Shingles (a painful rash caused by reactivation of the “chickenpox virus”)
- Certain medications.
- Injury.
- Stress.
- Liver damage due to alcoholism.
A hard clump of breast cancer cells or a breast tumor normally doesn’t cause breast pain, unless it reaches nearly 2 cm (0.8 inches) in diameter, which even then might not cause pain.
In fact, just 5 to 15% of women diagnosed with breast cancer complain of a painful breast.
How Does a Breast Pain Feel Like
The pain in the breast that occurs due to breast cancer usually occurs only in one breast. Pain due to breast cancer can be very specific, persistent, and always hurts in one spot.
But, breast cancer can even be present in your breast before it causes pain.
You would need to consult your doctor for a clinical breast examination if you have other symptoms of breast cancer. These could be sudden swelling of your breasts, nipple retraction, or sudden skin changes.
“Cancer is an opportunity to sit down and look into yourself and find the answers. Yes, it’s serious, but it’s not the end-all.” ~ Melissa Etheridge
When Breast Cancer Causes Pain
If cancer causes pain in the breast, it could be due to breast tumors that are over 2 cm in size. The tumor in the breast pushes into nearby healthy tissues.
Painful breast or tenderness is often one of the symptoms for women with inflammatory breast cancer. This rare cancer tends to grow quickly and causes dimpling and reddening of the skin over the breast.
Another rare form of breast cancer, called Paget’s disease of the nipple can cause burning and pain, along with irritation of the nipple.
If there is only one painful breast that constantly hurts, it might be a reason for concern, especially if it gets worse without any reason.
The pain could also occur due to symptoms of metastatic breast cancer.
In such cases the cancer spreads to the bones, brains, or your spinal cord. It might cause headaches, bone pain, back pain, and weakness in the legs.
If the breast cancer spreads to the adrenal glands, it could result in dull back pain. Or if it spreads to the liver, the pain might occur in the upper right part of the abdomen.
If you’ve been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, it’s best to report the pain symptoms to your doctor. Timely diagnosis and treatments can often bring relief to cancer pain, so don’t hesitate to complain.
When to See a Doctor
If you are having breast pain or if you have a painful breast, you would need to see your doctor if there is:
- Blood or pus discharge from your nipples.
- Redness, fever, or any other sign of a breast infection.
- Breasts are swollen or hard soon after childbirth.
- A painful breast lump that doesn’t go away after your menstrual cycle.
- Persistent pain in your breast without any clear reason.
Remember – when you experience pain it means that something is going on within your body.
However, pain in the breast doesn’t mean you have breast cancer.
Be sure to locate the pain. Find out if it’s inside the breasts, or beneath it. What kind of pain is it? When did it first occur? Note down all such symptoms to discuss with your doctor.
“Every woman needs to know the facts. And the fact is, when it comes to breast cancer, every woman is at risk.” ~ Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Things to Remember About Breast Cancer
- Perform regular self-examinations whether you feel pain in your breasts or not.
- Watch for early breast cancer symptoms.
- If there’s a high risk factor of breast cancer in your family or you have a painful breast – don’t ignore it.
- Get your mammograms done annually when you are between 40-60 years of age and thereafter, or as suggested by your doctor.
- Maintain a healthy weight because studies indicate that losing weight lowers the risk of breast cancer.
- Choose your food and beverages wisely and avoid unhealthy ways to lose weight. According to studies, eating a healthy diet can help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk for breast cancer. Similarly, limit your intake of alcohol, or moderate your consumption, which would help reduce cancer risk.
- Exercise regularly. Even walking for five days a week for 45 minutes decreases the risk of breast cancer.
Holistic Ways to Reduce Breast Pain
Besides the recommended treatment and medications, you can even try holistic ways to reduce a painful breast or breast pain occurring due to breast cancer. Something that might help:
- If you can get a lymphatic massage from a trained therapist, as they are helpful in treating certain types of pain in the breast.
- Try applying creams around the painful breast as it will help relieve some pressure in the area.
- Another natural remedy is castor oil, which has been known to loosen up the breast tissue. If you do try it, you would need to lie down for 20 minutes once it’s applied.
- Purchase topical iodine that is not costly, and apply a quarter-sized area of the iodine once a night to the breast tissue. It balances out the pain by adjusting the hormones in most cases.
- Sometimes even emotional factors create pain. So, try relaxing techniques like meditation and yoga, and find the reason behind the pain.
- Having your friends and family around you is the best way to deal with breast cancer.
Spread Awareness About Breast Cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). It’s an annual international health campaign – a perfect time to make everyone around us aware about breast cancer.
It is an opportunity to promote screening and early detection of breast cancer. It’s often called a “pink day” to raise awareness.
It’s a way to honor those who we’ve lost to breast cancer, and support those who are facing this dreaded disease bravely.
I marvel at these brave women who have battled breast cancer. They are a true inspiration to many. Remember, early detection and treatment is the key to fight breast cancer.
I had to share this wonderful video that really moved me. It shows how supportive family and friends of those who have breast cancer are, which helps them face it.
That’s the kind of family and friends we all need, and this is how we need to support all those who are battling their lives against breast cancer.
Reach out and tell them you are with them. It matters.
“I’m Gonna Love You Through It” ~ Martina McBride ~ YouTube Video
“National Breast Cancer Awareness Month reminds us all that when it comes to breast cancer, the difference between life and death for many women can be measured in a commitment to mammograms, self-exams, and regular doctor visits.” ~ Olympia Snowe
So, think pink everyone and help spread the word. You never know who might need it.
Over to you –
Did you think that a painful breast could lead to breast cancer? Do you know of anyone who had/has breast pain or breast cancer? Share your experiences and stories below.
I suppose even if you eat real well and exercise regularly, you still need to get check ups anyway, because you never know what may cause breast cancer. And many other illnesses may seem like breast cancer even if it is not. so we all must be well informed.
Nice Harleena,
really a good blog, having lots of information of the early causes of breast cancer. Development of the lump or thickening of the tissue of the breast is also one of the causes of the breast cancer…
Excellent! Harleena, you did a lot of research to put this together. well done.
I am sorry about your mom. I am sure you miss her so much. Cancer or any other disease does affect the entire family.
I’m really surprised at how many people didn’t know that men could get breast cancer as well as women! I’m glad that your post is able to inform people the way it has. Breast cancer is a serious topic that has a lot of misinformation about it on the web, and you’ve been able to clear somethings up for people. Thanks!
Welcome to the blog Richard!
Oh yes…there are many people who aren’t aware of this fact as yet, though I’m glad now they know that breast cancer can harm to both men, and women.
I do hope that people find the post useful and take timely action because prevention is always better than cure, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and contributing to the post 🙂
Very good article! It is important for everybody to know that breast cancer is very serious so the testing is crucial!
Welcome to the blog Doctor!
Glad you liked this post on breast cancer. Yes indeed, breast cancer should be taken seriously and the symptoms shouldn’t be ignored at all. I do hope more people go ahead and get themselves tested more often.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your views. 🙂
Hey Harleena, thanks for this post.
While the basics are fine, I didn’t know that stress and certain medications can cause pain. Really insightful and necessary post!
Welcome to the blog Anuradha, nice to see you here!
Oh yes…even stress and certain medications can lead to a painful breast, though it might not be an indication of breast cancer. I guess prevention is better than cure – isn’t it? We all just need to be so aware and be regular with our annual check-ups.
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Very insightful post here, my friend. While I knew men are able to get breast cancer, I wasn’t totally aware of what the causes were until now. This was truly an informative post.
I have personally lost at least three women that I can recall at the moment who have lost their fight against cancer. My grandmother and mother both being latest victims. Although their cancer wasn’t breast cancer, I feel that any form of this crippling disease is heart wrenching to have to deal and cope with, not only for the patience, but as Martina shared in her video, for their loved ones as well. Thank you for shining even more of a light on this topic. You certainly have given us more to think about and consider.
Thanks for adding the great song choice as well. It was a great choice and drove home your post very nicely.
Glad you liked the post Deone, and good to see you!
Yes indeed, men also get breast cancer, though it is rare. But just like women, you need to be regular with your annual check-ups and not take any kind of pain lightly. 🙂
Sorry to hear about the losses in your life, which are similar to mine, as I also lost my Mom and Grandmother to cancer. This is all the more reason to be more cautious as we are more susceptible to cancer than the others because it runs in our genes. Any loss in the family is bad and it’s difficult to cope with the vacuum our loved ones create. I guess timely detection and diagnosis is the key to getting hold of any kind of cancer.
Ah…I loved that video the moment I saw it too – it touched and moved my heart. I was just thinking whether I should put it up or have a video related to cancer, which we can all easily find online. This seemed to relate more on a personal level – isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by and contributing to the post. Always nice to have you over. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Great information on breast pain and breast cancer. I’ve had two close friends who have had breast cancer. Luckily they are both doing well today. I’m sorry to hear about your mom. It is difficult to lose a parent from a disease such as cancer. Thanks for spreading the word. Important that we all are informed about this topic.
Glad you liked the information shared Cathy!
Nice to know that both your close friends have overcome breast cancer and are doing well. I guess they discovered it well in time and took timely action, which is exactly what we all need to do.
It is tough to lose a parent or any loved one, and if it’s due to cancer, you see them suffering during the treatment and right till the end too. However, my Mom was a courageous lady and never let us see her suffer, and just as I was telling Adrienne – she was our source of inspiration and strength.
Thanks for stopping by and showing your support. 🙂
Dearest Harleena,
I can truly understand why you’re so passionate about sharing this information about cancer….cause when you lose someone to it….the intensity of it is truly irreplaceable.
I’m glad you shared all the information here…and cleared out many myths too 🙂
I’m sure this post will be very very useful to many many families.
Lots of love,
Z~
Welcome to the blog Zeenat, nice to have you over!
You are absolutely right! I have seen my Mom undergo this horrid disease and know how the loss of a dear one feels. That’s one main reason I wanted to raise more awareness about it. I hope people take something back home through this post and remain alert for any kind of signs their bodies give them. Even if there aren’t any symptoms, routine check-ups are a must.
Glad you liked the information shared, and yes, I hope everyone spreads more word about breast cancer so that fewer people get caught in it.
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Thank you for bringing up such an important topic Harleena, especially this month.
I’m so sorry you lost your Mom to cancer. I think you know my family background by now. But my mother has had breast cancer and it was only found through her regular checkup. I have a dear friend that just had a mastectomy this past Friday so I’m anxious to hear the positive news that she is now cancer free.
I personally have never had cancer and don’t intend to ever have it either. I stay positive and focused on my health which is all any of us can really do.
I don’t ever recall having any pain in my breasts but glad you shared with us what the problems could be if that’s the case. Getting regular mammograms of course is the prevention for us all. Just keep a handle on it and know what’s going on in your body.
Thank you for sharing this important topic Harleena and I do hope you enjoy your week. Thank you so much for spreading the word.
~Adrienne
Glad you liked the post Adrienne!
Yes indeed, this month makes it all the more reason to create awareness, though one needs to be always alert for any kinds of signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
My Mom was a brave lady and was always the one giving us strength, though what was surprising was that she really had no indication of cancer at all. We never knew what started off as a mere cough would lead to lung cancer one day. I’m glad your mother’s cancer was detected and she is well, and am sure she must be very regular with her check-ups now.
Ah… perhaps you are also talking about Catherine, just as Carolyn and Sylviane earlier mentioned too. Our prayers are surely with her and hope she is through with her surgery now and back on the road to recovery.
A painful breast can sometime be the cause of breast cancer, though most of the time it is not. However, we tend to get scared – isn’t it? The key is to remain as healthy and fit as you can by following a good lifestyle, which includes regular exercise and eating well nourished food.
Prevention is always better than cure, so getting our annual mammograms as well the routine check-ups helps us stay clear of this dreaded disease.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with all of us. 🙂
As the quote says, cancer affects the entire family when it happens. This topic is quite fresh in my mind at the moment. I did a TV ad a few days ago. It was for a cancer charity. The mood was quite sombre, as the lines had to be said – relative to the cause.
Thanks for sharing this helpful information, Leena. It’s always good to know. As you said, we all need to spread the word and raise awareness. I was glad to play my part.
Glad you could relate to the post Anne!
Yes indeed, it’s the whole family that gets affected and all of them undergo a great deal when any one member of the family suffers from breast cancer. Nice to know about the TV add for charity – you sure played your part. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and helping to spread the word, and create awareness. 🙂
Thanks for the information and the reminder. Time for my mammogram!!
Most welcome Galen!
Hope all goes well with your mammogram. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
I found your post very interesting and you covered the tell tale signs of breast cancer excellently. I also learnt that men too can have breast cancer. I never knew this.
The wife of my professor had breast cancer when I was a student. It was a very tough time for the both of them. However, through chemotherapy she recovered.
Thank you for covering such an important topic in your post.
Glad you found the post interesting Hiten!
Oh yes! It’s surprising that men tend to ignore the fact about breast pains, even when they get to know of it. The matter of the fact is that they have less breast tissue, so their chances of getting breast cancer is rare, but they are at risk nonetheless.
Just as I mentioned to Mayura earlier, men tend to ignore the signs and symptoms of breast cancer or the breast pains they might be getting, often taking it for chest pain or acidity. I guess they need to be careful and take care of themselves too. 🙂
Any type of cancer is dreadful, and it’s the family as a whole who suffers. But I’m glad your professor’s wife recovered and made it through.
Thanks for stopping by. Nice to have you back. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Breast cancer is a mean thing and we have an online friend who was just diagnosed with this nasty disease and she is actually undergoing surgery today, so your post made me think of her.
I’ve experience breast pain like many other women around my PMS time, and since I’ve never had children I don’t know about any ohter kind of breast pain.
This is the perfect time to bring your share of awareness to breast cancer. One woman out of eight that’s a lot of women and that’s why we all know at least one woman in our immediate surrounding who has been touched by it.
Thank you for thinking of those women, Harleena and writing this great information for all of us.
Absolutely Sylviane!
There can be nothing as dreadful as cancer – it just tends to grab us by surprise. Carolyn too mentioned about Catherine’s surgery, so I guess this post is also dedicated to her, and her courage to fight it right through.
Having a painful breast or breast pains during PMS is very normal, and most of us have that too, even though we have kids. Even women who attain menopause have breast pain, which I think is due to the hormonal and estrogen changes.
We all are safe as long as we learn to take care of ourselves, and yes, one out of eight women is quite a bit. And just to know that you or me could be that one, scares the life out of us – isn’t it? I guess the only thing that works are regular check-ups, timely diagnosis and treatment there after.
Thanks for stopping by, and showing your support for breast cancer. 🙂
Interesting about the iodine helping to relive breast pain. I believe thyroid issues can also cause breast pain so the iodine makes sense for that as well.
Welcome to the blog Cynthia!
I was also a little surprised when I read about iodine helping to relieve the pain in the breast during my research about breast cancer. I haven’t really read about thyroid issues causing breast pain so far, though I guess anything can cause it – we really can’t pin-point it on any specific ailment – isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
My mother went through similar symptoms about two months back. After a series of tests and a lot of scares, it turned out to be all fine.
What goes wrong is when a lot of us don’t know the facts from the wrong information. And that continues. The important thing is knowing the right from the wrong, the reality, the facts and acting accordingly.
Here’s hoping many read this post and gain some good information from this – information that they benefit from!
I’m glad everything is well with your mother Hajra!
Actually we tend to get tests done only when something happens, or when we fall ill. We seldom think that we could even have breast cancer, or any kind of cancer for that matter till something dreaded occurs – it’s the last thing to cross our mind. It’s so important to get our annual check-ups done and always be aware of any kind of sign or symptom.
Yes indeed, we often take in suggestions or wrong information from various sources and think it to be correct, without realizing that they need to be thoroughly checked by a doctor.
Thanks for stopping by and hope people realize the importance of taking timely action. Always nice to have you over. 🙂
Regular check ups are so important. After the incident with my mom all of us, sisters went for a check. But I feel there shouldn’t be a “shock/; before we become aware!
Absolutely! There are no two ways about getting regular check-ups! I can imagine the scare among all of you – could happen with any of us! I guess keep your fingers and toes crossed when you go for your checkups 🙂
Oh Harleena, I’m so sorry for you loss. How difficult it must have been for you to share this. I don’t know anyone that has passed from breast cancer, but I do from other types of cancer. It is an ugly, UGLY disease. Thank you for spreading awareness. I’ll definitely share the post with my friends and loved ones. (hugs)
Some losses can never be forgotten Brenda, and losing our parents is never easy.
Cancer of any kind is bad enough, and it’s not just the person who undergoes the pain of cancer, but the entire family who suffers alongside. But yes, the family is the one who needs to give them all the love and support they need. In my case, it was my Mom who was our pillar of strength – she was truly amazing.
Thanks for stopping by, and I appreciate you sharing the post to help spread more awareness about this dreaded disease. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this important information, Harleena.
One of our fellow bloggers, Catherine Alexandra, is undergoing a mastectomy today due to breast cancer. We all need to be aware of the symptoms.
My mother and aunt died of breast cancer so this issue is important to me. Thank you, Harleena, for using your blog to spread the word.
Prayers are with Catherine, Carolyn.
I was shocked also to see her video where she spoke about having breast cancer, but this is news to me that her mastectomy is taking place today. May He give her all the strength and courage to overcome breast cancer. Yes indeed, timely diagnosis of the symptoms and treatment thereafter is what really works.
Sorry to hear about your mother and aunt. I can well imagine how you must be feeling about breast cancer too, and you need to take extra care about yourself as it runs in the family, though that might not be a reason but they say the risk is more in such cases.
The least I can do through my blog is help spread the word and create a little awareness. Thanks for stopping by. Always a pleasure to have you over. 🙂
🙂 October – and it is the time of year when I go for my annual mammo. Most uncomfortable test, even worse than being examined by a gynae. And then it takes a couple of days for the weird feeling to pass. But what’s more scary is the thought of being at risk and having no option but to go for the tests.
Thanks for the comprehensive article, Harleena. I love how you research your topics and this one is so relevant and useful.
Much appreciated. Vidya
You chose the right month for your annual mammo Vidya!
Reminds me I need to get mine done also! It still hasn’t caught up much our end as in the U.S., so all the more reason we need to be aware about breast cancer – isn’t it? You’re absolutely right! The fear when you are getting the tests done that what if the results aren’t good and they indicate something, and the series of thoughts there after do make you think a lot of things.
Thank you for the appreciation and kind words Vidya. I do love to do my best and give complete information to my readers, and might have carried on with more detail had the post length not been on my mind!
Hope everyone can learn something out of this post and help spread more awareness. Thanks for stopping by and showing your constant support. 🙂
Great info on Breast cancer and health Harleeena.
It seems more people are being diagnosed with this cancer every day. I have a dear friend that was diagnosed with it when she turned 49 and was engaged to be married at 50. (for the first time) We go on the breast cancer walk every year, her mom had it too and it spread and she died from it.
Luckily it was caught early and she has been married 2 years now this week. It was quite the frightening experience.
I also knew a girl who died from it at 29 – very sad – it spread all over and she fought it so bravely.
Glad you liked the post Lisa!
Sorry for the late reply as your comment went to spam – I guess you used your other site this time to comment from. 🙂
Yes indeed, there are more and more people who are getting caught with breast cancer nowadays. I guess lifestyle plays an important part, besides so many other factors.
I like that you are supporting your friend and have these regular cancer walks to create more awareness about breast cancer. When someone in the family has it, we tend to be at a greater risk. Happy to know that your friend’s happily married and hope she remains healthy too. However, she should get her periodic check-ups done from time to time.
Oh yes- people that young too get breast cancer, and I had also seen a video while looking for a match for this post, and saw how a young girl was diagnosed with it and her journey right from the time when she was alright. Sad indeed.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences with everyone. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Breast Cancer? I thought, “Oh not for me”. Wait… Breast cancer for men? I never knew. Seriously. Anyway I never known anyone suffering from breast cancer related to me Harleena. But always better to know about things than ignoring facts. Can be helpful to someone in someday. We never know. Girlies would love to read this out loud 😉
Thanks for sharing information about breast cancer dear 🙂
Cheers…
Oh yes Mayura!
Men also get breast cancer, though it’s rare. But they tend to ignore it. They often take any kind of pain as chest pain that could actually be breast pain, which can turn fatal if not detected in time. Just like women, even men have to get all the tests done whenever their are any symptoms because prevention is better than cure – isn’t it?
It’s good to be aware about breast cancer, and in fact all such dreaded diseases from whatever source you can and get your timely check-ups done (especially men!)
Thanks for stopping by and help spread the word around. 🙂
I never knew if there is breast cancer for men. I think that I should pay more attention to my health. Thanks for reminding Miss Harleena
Welcome to the blog Erwin!
Yes indeed, men are as much as at risk as women where breast cancer is concerned, though men getting breast cancer is rare. Prevention is always better than cure. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂