Diagnosing breast cancer involves invasive and noninvasive tests, as described here.
Breast cancers are usually painless.
Often the first symptom is the discovery of a hard lump felt as a thickened mass. Fifty percent of such lumps are found in the upper outer quarter of the breast. Sometimes the skin of the breast is dimpled like the skin of an orange. In some cases there is a bloody or clear discharge from the nipple. An initial diagnosis of possible breast cancer is made after a physician's physical examination and a mammogram.