Peau d’orange – orange peel – breast cancer

When lymphatic obstruction occurs in breast cancer, lymph accumulates. An effect of this process is breast skin dimpling at sites of sweat ducts giving the skin the appearance of an orange peel – peau d’orange (French for orange skin).
Overall, breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst women worldwide.

Breast self examination (BSE) does not reduce the chances of dying from breast cancer compared to no breast self examination, rather counter intuitively BSE can be harmful by causing fear, anxiety, depression and so on concerning finding or having a breast lump. Also those who practice BSE have more invasive procedures like breast biopsies which may be injurious.

Reference:

Russell RCG, Williams NS and Bulstrode CJK (eds.), 2004, Bailey and Love’s Short Practice of Surgery, 24th edition, Arnold, London, pages 837-838. Go to reference

Breast cancer

Image from Wikimedia Commons