Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRashFlaky SkinDimpling or RidgesTetheringSwellingDiscolorationTypes of Breast Cancer That Cause Skin ChangesOther CausesMonitoring Skin ChangesWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Rash
Flaky Skin
Dimpling or Ridges
Tethering
Swelling
Discoloration
Types of Breast Cancer That Cause Skin Changes
Other Causes
Monitoring Skin Changes
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Treatment
With breast cancer, skin texture or color changes may be noticeable before you feel a lump. Skin changes like dimpling, thickening, and darkening on the breasts and nipples may be symptoms of the disease.
Every skin abnormality on the breast is not a sign of cancer. But understanding how the disease might manifest on the skin will help you know when it’s cause for concern.
dtephoto / Getty Images
Arash that spreads along the breastcan be a symptom of breast cancer. In fact, a rash is one of the first and most common signs of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Depending on a person’s skin tone, it may look red, pink, or purple, and even resemble a bruise.The rash may or may not be itchy.
Another type of breast cancer,Paget’s(or Paget) disease of the breast, can cause itchy, flaky, crusty skin—usually around one nipple.It may respond to topical treatment and even appear like the skin is healing before it returns.
Dimpling or ridges on the skin—resembling the texture of an orange peel—can indicate IBC or Paget’s disease of the breast. The texture change might cover a small or large part of the breast, and may also be inflamed and/or look darker than the surrounding skin.
Dimpling or ridges occur when the breast’slymph vessels, which help regulate fluid levels and remove harmful substances, are blocked.
Tethering looks like an indentation, and is often a sign that atumor is formingunderneath the skin. It may become more obvious if someone pushes down on the underlying lump.
Tethering is a result of the ligaments inside the breast pulling the skin inward, giving it a dented appearance.
This may also lead to asymmetry. It’s normal for breasts to appear uneven in size or fullness, but any rapid swelling of a breast or thickening of its skin is a red flag.
Changes to a breast’s color—such as redness or darkening—might be a sign of IBC or Paget’s disease.Keep in mind that discoloration will look slightly different based on each person’s individual skin tone.
An estimated 6% to 10% of breast cancer cases have skin-related signs.And while any type of breast cancer can cause skin changes, two, as mentioned above, are most likely to have these symptoms:
Other Causes of Breast Skin Changes
Many other conditions can affect the skin on the breasts, including:
Monitoring Breast Skin Changes
It’s best to see a healthcare provider any time you notice a new rash, discoloration, or other change to your breasts.
At the appointment, the provider will ask about your medical history, symptoms, and when you first noticed them. After physically examining the area, a healthcare provider may order follow-up tests orobtain a biopsy(a sample of tissue to be tested in a lab) to identify the cause of your symptoms.
Treatment for Skin-Related Breast Cancer
The recommendedtreatment plan for breast cancerthat is also affecting the skin depends on many factors. These include the type and stage of breast cancer, the location, and an individual’s overall health.
Surgery is the primary treatment option for aggressive forms of breast cancer like Paget’s disease of the breast and IBC.This can involve alumpectomy(removal of a tumor) or amastectomy(removal of a breast).
Additional treatments may be used to destroy breast cancer cells and prevent breast cancer recurrence. These include:
Summary
Some breast cancer symptoms can include changes to the skin that resemble a rash, discoloration, dimpling, puckering, or thickening. This can be particularly true with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and Paget’s disease of the breast.
Everyone’s body is different, and not every breast skin change is a sign of cancer. If you notice something new, worsening, or just concerning, see your healthcare provider.
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22 Sources
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Cancer Society.Inflammatory breast cancer.National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).Breastcancer.org.Paget disease of the breast.Lopes Filho LL, Lopes IM, Lopes LR, et al.Mammary and extramammary Paget’s disease.An Bras Dermatol. 2015;90(2):225-231. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20153189American Cancer Society.Lymph node surgery for breast cancer.Naraynsingh V, Jarvis JK, Milne DM, et al.The pushing sign for early skin tethering in breast cancer.Cureus. 2021.Naraynsingh V, Jarvis JK, Milne DM, Cawich SO, Harnanan D, Singh Y, Islam S.The pushing sign for early skin tethering in breast cancer.Cureus. 2021 Dec 16;13(12):e20471. doi:10.7759/cureus.20471Susan G. Komen.Inflammatory breast cancer.National Cancer Institute.Understanding breast change and conditions: a health guide.Flores AM, Nelson J, Sowles L, Stephenson RG, Robinson K, Cheville A, Sander AP, Blot WJ.Lymphedema signs, symptoms, and diagnosis in women who are in minority and low-income groups and have survived breast cancer.Phys Ther. 2020 Mar 10;100(3):487-499. doi:10.1093/ptj/pzaa002Throckmorton, AD.Is it breast cancer?—common dermatologic disorders found on the breast.Ann Breast Surg. 2021 Sept.;5. doi:10.21037/abs-20-97Silverman D, Ruth K, Sigurdson ER, Egleston BL, Goldstein LJ, Wong YN, Boraas M, Bleicher RJ.Skin involvement and breast cancer: are T4b lesions of all sizes created equal?J Am Coll Surg. 2014 Sep;219(3):534-44. doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2014.04.003National Cancer Institute.Inflammatory breast cancer.Gaurav A, Gupta V, Koul R, et al.Practical consensus recommendations for Paget’s disease in breast cancer.South Asian J Cancer. 2018;7(2):83-86. doi:10.4103/sajc.sajc_107_18National Eczema Association.Contact dermatitis.MedlinePlus.Mastitis.National Cancer Institute.Breast health: follow-up after an abnormal mammogram.MedlinePlus.Breast self-exam.Throckmorton AD.Is it breast cancer?—common dermatologic disorders found on the breast.Ann Breast Surg. 2021 Sept.;5. doi:10.21037/abs-20-97Gaurav A, Gupta V, Koul R, et al.Practical consensus recommendations for Paget’s disease in breast cancer.South Asian J Cancer.2018;07(02):083-086. doi:10.4103/sajc.sajc_107_18National Organization for Rare Disorders.Paget’s disease of the breast.American Cancer Society.Can I lower my risk of breast cancer?
American Cancer Society.Inflammatory breast cancer.
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).
Breastcancer.org.Paget disease of the breast.
Lopes Filho LL, Lopes IM, Lopes LR, et al.Mammary and extramammary Paget’s disease.An Bras Dermatol. 2015;90(2):225-231. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20153189
American Cancer Society.Lymph node surgery for breast cancer.
Naraynsingh V, Jarvis JK, Milne DM, et al.The pushing sign for early skin tethering in breast cancer.Cureus. 2021.
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National Cancer Institute.Understanding breast change and conditions: a health guide.
Flores AM, Nelson J, Sowles L, Stephenson RG, Robinson K, Cheville A, Sander AP, Blot WJ.Lymphedema signs, symptoms, and diagnosis in women who are in minority and low-income groups and have survived breast cancer.Phys Ther. 2020 Mar 10;100(3):487-499. doi:10.1093/ptj/pzaa002
Throckmorton, AD.Is it breast cancer?—common dermatologic disorders found on the breast.Ann Breast Surg. 2021 Sept.;5. doi:10.21037/abs-20-97
Silverman D, Ruth K, Sigurdson ER, Egleston BL, Goldstein LJ, Wong YN, Boraas M, Bleicher RJ.Skin involvement and breast cancer: are T4b lesions of all sizes created equal?J Am Coll Surg. 2014 Sep;219(3):534-44. doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2014.04.003
National Cancer Institute.Inflammatory breast cancer.
Gaurav A, Gupta V, Koul R, et al.Practical consensus recommendations for Paget’s disease in breast cancer.South Asian J Cancer. 2018;7(2):83-86. doi:10.4103/sajc.sajc_107_18
National Eczema Association.Contact dermatitis.
MedlinePlus.Mastitis.
National Cancer Institute.Breast health: follow-up after an abnormal mammogram.
MedlinePlus.Breast self-exam.
Throckmorton AD.Is it breast cancer?—common dermatologic disorders found on the breast.Ann Breast Surg. 2021 Sept.;5. doi:10.21037/abs-20-97
Gaurav A, Gupta V, Koul R, et al.Practical consensus recommendations for Paget’s disease in breast cancer.South Asian J Cancer.2018;07(02):083-086. doi:10.4103/sajc.sajc_107_18
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Paget’s disease of the breast.
American Cancer Society.Can I lower my risk of breast cancer?
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