Jillian Cardarelli's Breast Cancer Story Highlights the Warning Signs Beyond a Lump

Most people know to watch for a lump, but fewer than half can name the other signs. One singer’s journey from diagnosis to the Grand Ole Opry stage shows why paying attention to any change matters.

Since her late 20s, country singer Jillian Cardarelli had been monitoring an area of dense tissue in her right breast, which had always checked out fine, until earlier this year when she felt something different. The area had become painful during her period and the lump seemed to have moved. It also felt “thicker,” the 34-year-old told Today.

Apart from these observations, Cardarelli also noticed feeling unusually fatigued. Though she reassured herself that cancer doesn’t typically hurt, she decided to have it checked “for peace of mind,” expecting her doctors to tell her all was well. “And it just wasn’t the case that time,” she said.

At age 33, following an ultrasound, a 3D mammogram, and a biopsy in May, Cardarelli was shocked to learn that she had Stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma.

She noted that she exercised regularly, ate well, and tested negative for genetic markers linked to breast cancer, and yet, she got it. But after undergoing a lumpectomy and 19 rounds of radiation at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, she is now cancer-free.

Cardarelli’s story is a reminder that breast cancer doesn’t always look the way people expect. While a new lump or mass is the most common sign, malignant lumps can be hard and painless, or round, soft, tender, and even painful, according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

According to one survey, more than 90% of adults know that a lump can signal breast cancer, but fewer than half know the other signs. These include:

• Skin dimpling that resembles an orange peel
• Swelling of all or part of the breast
• Nipples that turn inward or change in color or texture
• Red, dry, flaky, or thickened skin on the breast or nipple
• Nipple discharge not related to breastfeeding
• Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collarbone
• Breast pain not related to your menstrual cycle or an injury

It may be comforting to know that most breast changes, including lumps, aren’t cancer. In fact, only 3% to 6% of breast lumps are malignant. Still, experts recommend reporting any new or unusual change to your doctor as soon as possible.

Strict monthly self-exams are no longer recommended for most women, but UCLA Health suggests familiarizing yourself with how your breasts normally look and feel so you can easily recognize any changes.

This is especially important for women under 40, who usually aren’t routinely screened unless they’re at high risk. Older studies have found that nearly 80% of women under 40 with breast cancer detected it themselves.

On October 27, Cardarelli made her Grand Ole Opry debut as part of the 18th annual Opry Goes Pink, in collaboration with the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation.

“It just goes to show that even through the darkest storms, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.