Should You Be Alert to Breast Disease with This Type of Underarm Pain?

The breast on the same side is close to the ipsilateral axilla. The blood supply, lymphatic return, and nerve distribution of the breast are closely related to the axilla. For instance, after acute mastitis, inflammation often spreads through the lymphatic vessels of the breast to the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes, causing enlargement and pain in the axillary lymph nodes. Diseases such as breast hyperplasia, due to periodic changes such as congestion and edema of the glands, can cause episodic pain and discomfort in the breast. Malignant tumors of the breast, such as breast cancer, often initially metastasize through lymphatic vessels to the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes first. Moreover, sometimes the primary tumor in the breast is very small and not palpable on the breast itself, but the axillary lymph nodes may already be enlarged and painful. Patients often present with axillary pain as their main complaint, enabling doctors to detect breast cancer early. When performing radical mastectomy, doctors must completely remove the axillary lymph nodes regardless of whether they are symptomatic, to eliminate potential future problems.

Therefore, after reaching middle age, individuals should regularly check their own axillas. If pain or lymph node enlargement is felt, they should promptly visit the hospital for further examination and treatment. This is also a simple method for self-screening for breast cancer.