Women with ‘non-lump’ symptoms delay seeing doctor

As many as 17% of women diagnosed with breast cancer present to their doctor with a symptom other than a lump

As many as 17% of women diagnosed with breast cancer present to their doctor with a symptom other than a lump, research presented at the 2016 National Cancer Research Institute Cancer conference in the UK shows.

Using data from more than 2300 women diagnosed with breast cancer in England in 2009-10, researchers found that, although most women with breast cancer sought help quickly, those with “non-lump” symptoms were more likely to delay going to their doctor compared with women with a breast lump alone.

The research found that 15% women with symptoms waited more than 90 days to see a doctor compared with 7% of women who only had a lump.

A total of 56 symptoms were described in the research, including breast lump, which was the most common (83%). The incidence of non-lump symptom included nipple abnormalities (7%) and breast pain (6%); and non-breast symptoms, such as back pain (1%) and weight loss (0.3%).

“It’s crucial that women are aware that a lump is not the only symptom of breast cancer,” research author Monica Koo told the conference. “If they are worried about any breast symptoms, the best thing to do is to get it checked by a doctor as soon as possible.”

Dr Karen Kennedy, Director of the NCRI, said: “This research shows that, all too often, women are delaying going to their doctor with symptoms of breast cancer. This could be because people are simply unaware that breast cancer can present in many different ways, not just through the presence of a lump.”