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Topic Overview
What is breast cancer?
Breast canceris a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the breast.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, although lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women.
What is the structure of the normal breast?
Each breast is made up of 15 to 20 sections called lobes, which contain many smaller sections called lobules (the mammary, or milk-producing, glands). The lobules are connected to each other by thin tubes called ducts.
What are the different types of breast cancer?
Ductal cancer, which affects the cells of the ducts, is the most common type of breast cancer.
Lobular cancer begins in the lobes or lobules of the breast. It is more often found in both breasts than other types of breast cancer.
Inflammatory breast cancer is an uncommon type of breast cancer. In this disease, the breast is warm, red, and swollen.
What causes breast cancer?
The exact cause of breast cancer is unknown. breast cancer is a common disease in women over age 50. At least 1 out of every 8 women in the United States will get breast cancer if she lives long enough. The chance that a woman will develop breast cancer by age 30 is 1 in 250. The risk that a woman will develop breast cancer by age 40 is 1 in 70.
About 1% of all breast cancer occurs in adult men.
How will I know if I have breast cancer?
Early breast cancer is often detected by a mammogram before any symptoms are present. The most common symptom is a painless lump. However, sometimes painful lumps are cancerous. Symptoms of breast cancer include:
A lump or thickening in the breast or armpit that is new or unusual.
A change in the size or shape of the breast.
Skin changes, such as a dimple or pucker in the skin of the breast.
Discharge or bleeding from the nipple that comes out without squeezing the nipple (spontaneous discharge).
A change in the nipple, such as a nipple that is now drawn inward (retraction or inversion).
Scaling or crusting of the nipple.
A change in the color or feel of the skin of the breast or the darker area around the nipple (areola).
A breast lump in an adult man. About 1% of all breast cancer occurs in adult men.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
Once breast cancer is suspected, a piece of tissue must be obtained ( biopsy ) to confirm the diagnosis. This can be done by inserting a needle into the breast lump or the area that looks suspicious on a mammogram or by removing the entire suspicious area with a scalpel. The piece of tissue is then analyzed by a pathologist, under a microscope, to see whether cancer is present.
What can I expect if I have breast cancer?
The chance of recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment depend on:
The stage of the cancer(whether it is just in the breast or has spread to other places in the body).
The type of breast cancer .
Characteristics of the cancer cells.
The size of the breast cancer.
Whether the cancer is found in both breasts (bilateral).
How will my breast cancer be treated?
The types of treatment for breast cancer are:
Surgery to remove the cancer.
Radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy.
Hormone therapy.
Biological therapy , with monoclonal antibodies that block the protein HER-2 . Monoclonal antibodies are sometimes used for the treatment of breast cancer that has spread to another area of the body (metastasized).
Who can treat my breast cancer?
Call your primary health professional or your gynecologist if you think you have symptoms of breast cancer. Your health professional will refer you to the appropriate doctor for further testing and treatment..
