The facts about breast cancer can be scary. It is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world (the first being lung cancer). Breast cancer was fatal to over half a million people worldwide in the year 2005. It is rated #5 among the most common forms of cancer in the world. Despite, these scary numbers, there are things you can do to help yourself when it comes to this cancer.

A lump in the breast is commonly the first symptom. This type of lump will feel very different from the rest of the breast. If you find a lump in your breast, schedule a doctor's appointment immediately so that a mammogram can be performed to discover more information about the lump.

There are other signs such as changes in the size or shape of the breast, skin dimpling on the breast, or a nipple that is inverted or that has discharge coming from it. Breast pain or tenderness is another symptom your doctor should be made aware of. Even though the chance of it being caused by breast cancer is low, the consequences of unchecked cancer are high.

While these warning signs may lead to the detection of a tumor you should not become alarmed if you began experiencing these. For the most part, these warning signs do not mean you have cancer at all. However, that does not mean, that you should not look into any warning signs that you may have over time. What I am saying is that even though you are experiencing warning sign, do not be panic until you have looked into this in detail.

Should you be diagnosed with breast cancer, what is the next step? What is the sequence of events? Many treatment options are available and your physician will review them with you. Some women are reluctant to seek medical treatment for symptoms because they fear a possible mastectomy. However, a mastectomy is not necessarily the treatment of choice, so do not let this stand in your way of obtaining medical care.

Breast cancer is a scary subject, but it is a treatable disease. The odds of finding the disease early and keeping from becoming fatal are higher for those women who are proactive and perform monthly self-exams and regularly visit their health care practitioners. For those who are diagnosed with breast cancer, many support groups are available.