This rare symptom delayed Bachelorette star Katie Thurstons breast cancer diagnosis

For many women, breast pain is a common nuisance.But for “The Bachelorette” alum Katie Thurston, it was a crucial warning sign she almost missed.The 34-year-old reality star recently opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis, revealing she initially brushed off a small, painful lump as PMS or muscle soreness from working out.“Went to the doc thinking it was going to be nothing.

I was wrong,” Thurston wrote in an Instagram Q&A.She added that the pain “probably led to more doubt and delay in getting it checked out, as lots of [websites] say ‘most breast cancers don’t hurt.'”Breast pain is very common, and experts say it’s usually nothing to worry about.

Hormonal fluctuations, medications, benign cysts or even a poorly fitting bra can often be to blame.However, while rare, breast pain can sometimes signal something more serious.According to Dr.

Kazuaki Takabe, clinical chief of breast surgery at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, about 1% of women are diagnosed with breast cancer after experiencing pain.Women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely to report pain in their breast tissue during treatment, with Takabe estimating that about 15% of patients experience this discomfort.For patients who do experience pain, it’s often linked to the size and location of the tumor.“If you have a breast cancer that’s very large, it can impinge on nerve structures, muscle structures, bone structures, and any component of the breast outside of the breast tissue—that can cause pain,” Dr.Richard J.

Bleicher, chief of the division of breast surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center, told SELF.But even small tumors can cause discomfort.“Breast cancers tend to be very hard,” Bleicher said.

“Even if a lesion is small, it will cause discomfort if it is impinging on a nerve or muscle.”Some types of breast cancer are also more likely to cause pain than others.Inflammatory breast cancer — a rare, aggressive form — ...