Public awareness efforts to educate New York women about signs of breast cancer may focus on lump detection through personal breast checks each month. However, less common symptoms could be just as serious. In fact, some breast cancer cases lack any breast-related signs. Because of these possibilities, additional facets might be warranted in education efforts to ensure that possible breast cancer cases are evaluated as quickly as possible.
Public awareness efforts to educate New York women about signs of breast cancer may focus on lump detection through personal breast checks each month. However, less common symptoms could be just as serious. In fact, some breast cancer cases lack any breast-related signs. Because of these possibilities, additional facets might be warranted in education efforts to ensure that possible breast cancer cases are evaluated as quickly as possible.
Statistics from a study performed in England indicate that lumps are the most common indicators of possible breast cancer cases. For 76 percent of the subjects diagnosed with breast cancer, there were no other symptoms. Approximately 16 percent of the individuals evaluated did not have lumps. In 6 percent of cases, patients had a lump as well as another symptom. The study indicates that lumps tend to result in patients seeking treatment more quickly. More than 90 percent of patients with only lumps as indicators sought treatment within the first 90 days of noticing the symptoms. Timing in seeking treatment is crucial because delays of 90 days or more are linked to poor survival rates.
Some of the breast cancer symptoms that might be ignored include skin changes, ulcerations, and nipple abnormalities. Lumps in the armpit, muscle pain, and shortness of breath could also be indications of breast cancer. However, a failure to diagnose breast cancer or other conditions could be more likely with obscure symptoms.
Although a physician cannot prevent negative outcomes in all cases, cancer tends to be an illness that requires prompt action. Delays in testing or treatment because of issues such as poor coordination or communication in a provider’s office could jeopardize the health of a patient. While delays might not constitutenegligence in all cases, a delay that prevents a patient from receiving life-saving care might be evaluated as a potential instance of medical malpractice.
