
13. Breast Cancer Can Be Extremely Dangerous
There is much awareness around diseases like breast cancer. With so much attention, you’d think this kind of awareness would cause breast cancer to be diagnosed immediately, but that isn’t always the case. Some women aren’t diagnosed until the later stages because of a lack of knowledge and the symptoms. Studies have been performed on people with breast cancer and found that 31% of cases are misdiagnosed (via Prevention). So, what’s the problem? Why does something as serious as cancer get a misdiagnosis? The problem lies with diagnostics. It can be difficult to find cancer in the early stages, especially with certain types of breast cancer.
Symptoms of breast cancer include pain, lumps, redness, swelling, flaky skin, and discharge from the breasts (via Prevention). With all of these symptoms associated with the breasts themselves, you’d think diagnosing breast cancer would be a pretty simple process. That’s not always the case, however. Even women who get routine care and mammograms aren’t always safe. In some cases, breast cancer isn’t found in mammograms, and lumps don’t always form. If nothing is found during routine testing, women may have breast cancer, and their doctor may shrug it off as regular bodily changes. It’s vital to know the symptoms of breast cancer and perform regular at-home breast exams to ensure your safety from this sometimes-devastating disease.