Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent
Symptoms
The symptoms of metastatic and recurrent breast cancer depend on how much the cancer has spread. You may have specific physical symptoms, such as a lump in your breast or on your chest wall, bone pain, or shortness of breath. Many women do not have symptoms. Recurrent or metastatic breast cancer is often found before symptoms appear, either on a chest X-ray or as part of another test.
Recurrent breast cancer
If you have cancer that recurs in the same area (local recurrence), you may have symptoms such as:
- A lump or thickening in the breast, chest wall, or armpit after you have had breast-conserving surgery
or a mastectomy
- A change in the size or shape of the breast or a dimple or pucker in the skin of the breast.
- Discharge or bleeding from the nipple that occurs without squeezing the nipple (spontaneous discharge).
- A change in the nipple, such as a scaly or crusty look or a nipple that draws inward (retraction or inversion).
Metastatic breast cancer
Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer will depend on the area affected and how far your breast cancer has spread.
Metastatic breast cancer symptoms Area affected Symptom Breast or chest wall
- Lump or thickening in your breast or under your arm
- Changes in size or shape of your breast
- Changes in the skin of your breast or chest wall
- Chest wall pain
- Discharge from your nipple
Bones, especially the back, hips, or sternum
- Pain
- Fractures
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Decreased alertness from high calcium levels
Lungs
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing
- Cough
- Chest wall pain
- Extreme fatigue
Liver
- Nausea
- Extreme fatigue
- Increased abdominal girth
- Fluid collection (edema) in your feet and legs
- Yellowing or itching of the skin
Brain and spinal cord
- Pain
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Headache
- Blurred or double vision
- Change in how your skin senses touch, pain, or any other physical feeling
- Trouble speaking or understanding speech
- Trouble standing, moving, or walking
- Seizures
Inflammatory breast cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer is a specific type of breast cancer that involves the skin of the breast. It occurs when breast cancer cells form “nests” and block the lymphatic drainage from the skin of the breast. Symptoms include redness, tenderness, and warmth. Thickening of the skin of the breast (orange peel appearance), rapid breast enlargement, and ridging of the skin of the breast may also occur. Some women may also develop itching, bruising, or a lump in the breast. See a picture of inflammatory breast cancer
 Go to previous section |  Go to top of page |  Go to next section |
| Author: | Kathe Gallagher, MSW Ralph Poore | Last Updated: October 19, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Donald Sproule, MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine Douglas A. Stewart, MD - Medical Oncology | |
 | ||
