Bad back could be a symptom of cancer

ONE in six women with breast cancer have symptoms other than a lump, a study has found.

These include back pain, a swollen arm, breathlessness and weight loss. Such women are much more likely to wait at least three months before seeing their GP than those with a lump.

Researchers from University College London (UCL) say too many women are unaware of the other symptoms.

The disease can cause arm ache or shoulder pain if it occurs in the lymph glands in the armpit.

In a study presented at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) conference in Liverpool, researchers looked at data on 2,300 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009/10.

Seventy-six per cent first went to their GP complaining of a lump. Another 17 per cent had nonlump symptoms including changes in breast shape, swollen arms, back pain or weight loss.

Women with non-lump symptoms waited 12 days on average before seeing their GP after noticing symptoms, almost twice as

‘Know how to spot the signs’

long as those with a lump who typically went within a week.

And 1 per cent of women with no lump waited three months before seeing a GP. Just 7 per cent of women with a lump waited this long.

Monica Koo, lead author and researcher in cancer epidemiology at UCL said public health officials needed to raise awareness about breast cancer symptoms.

She said: ‘Around one in six women diagnosed with breast cancer have symptoms other than a breast lump.

‘If women are worried about any breast symptoms, the best thing to do is to get it checked by a doctor as soon as possible.

‘Diagnosing cancer earlier really is key in order to increase the chances of survival.’

Dr Karen Kennedy of the NCRI said: ‘This research shows that, all too often, women are delaying going to their doctor.

‘This could be because people are simply unaware that breast cancer can present in many different ways.

‘Awareness campaigns need to raise awareness of all of the potential symptoms of breast cancer so that people know how to spot the signs and when to go to a doctor.’