Does breast cancer appear suddenly?
Does breast cancer appear suddenly? How long does it take for the body to grow and develop before it is detected? And how fast does it grow? The answers to these questions are in the following article.
Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast grow and divide in an irregular and random way, and this leads to the formation of a mass of tissue in the breast known as a tumor, and it is one of the most common cancers among women, second only to skin cancer. Does breast cancer appear suddenly?
Does breast cancer appear suddenly?
Before answering this question, we must tell you that breast cancer grows by simple cell division, it starts as one malignant cell, then divides and becomes 2 cells and divides again and becomes 4 cells, and breast cancer must divide 30 times before feeling it, and in Most cases of breast cancer need each split from one to two months.
Therefore, the question “Does breast cancer appear suddenly?” can be answered, that breast cancer cannot appear suddenly; As it develops and appears gradually, it may take about 2-5 years to appear.
Other studies have also found that the average breast cancer doubling time is 50-200 days. This means that it is possible for breast cancers that are currently diagnosed to have started at least 5 years ago, assuming that the growth rate of the cancer is constant, which it really isn't.
It is worth noting that some types of cancer, such as: inflammatory breast cancer tends to grow much faster than other types, so a woman may feel as if it appeared suddenly, and it is a rare cancer that develops quickly and its symptoms appear suddenly to make the affected breast red, swollen and painful to the touch.
How quickly does breast cancer grow and spread?
Some studies indicate that the size of breast cancer may grow and double every 6 months. However, the rate of growth and spread of any type of cancer depends on many factors, including:
- Cancer subtype and the role of estrogen receptors in those subtypes.
- cancer stage .
- degree of cancer.
- The age of the infected person.
- Genetic factors and mutations.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
After we have clarified the answer to the question “Does breast cancer appear suddenly?”, it is necessary to address the symptoms of breast cancer, which a woman should immediately consult a doctor as soon as she notices any of them.
The first symptom of breast cancer that most women notice is a pea-sized lump, and although most breast tumors are noncancerous, it's always best to get them checked out by a doctor.
Symptoms and possible signs of breast cancer include:
- Redness of the skin on the breasts or eruption.
- A lump or area of thickened tissue in or near the breast or under the armpit that persists during the menstrual cycle.
- A change in the look or feel of the skin on the breast or nipple, such as dimpling or bumps in the skin.
- Change in the appearance of the campaign, such as the appearance of a sunken in the breast.
- A liquid discharge with little or clear blood from the nipple.
- A change in the size, shape, or circumference of the breast.
- The appearance of an area clearly different from any other area in the breast.
It should be noted that breast pain is not a symptom of breast cancer, and some people do not notice any signs and symptoms of breast cancer, so routine mammograms are important.