Could someone go with untreated undetected breast cancer for 10 years?

Question

What are the symptoms besides lumps and how big are the lumps usually? Do they grow fast? What do people with cancer feel like?

Answer 1

My mum has breast cancer.

No symptoms before it was detected.

Lumps are all different sizes.

They grow fast and slow depending on the type.

What do people with cancer feel like? Well my mum has breast and lung cancer so I guess she feels pretty yukky wouldn't you?

Strange question !!!

Answer 2

Cancer is a progressive disease . . and there are many, many different types .. some types of cancer are slow growing and can take up to 30 years to grow . .while others are lightening fast, aggressive and can grow in weeks if not days. So . . it would depend . . it is possible that a breast cancer in a patient began ten years prior . . was microscopic and lay dormant for a long time . . so, yes, it is possible . . although no one really knows for certain.

As for symptoms . . by the time a person has symptoms than the cancer is advanced. Best way to tell if cancer is present in the breast or anywhere on the body is finding an unexplained, painless lump that seems to be growing . . that is often the only sign you will ever have. And the reason is because cancer is your own DNA . .the body does not recognize that anything is 'wrong' and treats tumors and cancer just like any other body part. The only time you will have symptoms is when the disease is large enough to start intefering with normal body functions . . or presses on nerves or gets in the way so that you notice it. Otherwise cancer and your body get along quite well in the early stage . . no pain . . and if there is no lumps . .than it will not be noticed at all . . this can go on for an undetermined amount of time depending on the type, grade, and location of the disease.

Answer 3

Yes someone could.  Some breast cancers are slow growing, some fast.  Not all present as lumps, it could be a indentation or a rash.

Generally people with breast cancer feel just fine in the early stages, they feel pretty crappy in the late stages.

Answer 4

In early stages when the Grade of the disease (multiplication of cells and spreading) low and slow it may take time to get detected. These days most of the women are aware about the harms of this disease and they have ultrasound and  mammogram  and other tests done every year. This will definetely show the exsistance of the disease. Ultrasound can often show abnormalities which might go undetected on mammography due to extremely dense breast tissue.

But it will not prolong to such a long period of 10 years without showing up or undetected. As the time elapse the speed of multiplication of cancerous cells also will increase and definetely it is bound to show up in about 1 or 2 years.

The symptoms of Breast cancer including lumps are -

Knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer may help save your life. When the disease is discovered early, you have more treatment options and a better chance for a cure.

Most breast lumps aren't cancerous. Yet the most common sign of breast cancer for both men and women is a lump or thickening in the breast. Often, the lump is painless. Other potential signs of breast cancer include:

    * A spontaneous clear or bloody discharge from your nipple, often associated with a breast lump

    * Retraction or indentation of your nipple

    * A change in the size or contours of your breast

    * Any flattening or indentation of the skin over your breast

    * Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange

A number of conditions other than breast cancer can cause your b*****s to change in size or feel. Breast tissue changes naturally during pregnancy and your menstrual cycle. Other possible causes of noncancerous (benign) breast changes include fibrocystic changes, cysts, fibroadenomas, infection or injury.

If you find a lump or other change in your breast — even if a recent mammogram was normal — see your doctor for evaluation. If you haven't yet gone through menopause, you may want to wait through one menstrual cycle before seeing your doctor. If the change hasn't gone away after a month, have it evaluated promptly.

Finally when people come to know of cancer they get shattered as it is the most fearsome disease in the word. -