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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffMost cases of breast pain are classified as either cyclic or noncyclic. Each type of breast pain has distinct characteristics.
| Breast pain characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Cyclic breast pain | Noncyclic breast pain |
|
|
Extramammary breast pain
Extramammary breast pain feels like it originates in the breast, but its source is actually somewhere else. Pulling a muscle in your chest, for example, can cause pain in your chest wall or rib cage.
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have breast pain that persists daily for more than a couple of weeks, if your breast pain seems to be getting worse over time or if your breast pain interferes with daily activities.
Also see your doctor for evaluation if you have pain in one particular area within your breast. Although it's not a common symptom of breast cancer, breast pain does occur in about 2 to 7 percent of women with breast cancer.
