Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast.
There are two main types of breast cancer:
Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.
Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk.
In rare cases, breast cancer can start in other areas of the breast.
Many breast cancers are sensitive to the hormone estrogen. This means that estrogen causes the breast cancer tumor to grow. Such cancer is called estrogen receptor positive cancer or ER positive cancer.
Some women have what's called HER2-positive breast cancer. HER2 refers to a gene that helps cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. When cells have too many copies of this gene, cells -- including cancer cells -- grow faster. Experts think that women with HER2-positive breast cancer have a more aggressive disease and a higher risk of recurrence than those who do not have this type.
Over the course of a lifetime, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
Risk factors you cannot change include:
Age and gender -- Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. The majority of advanced breast cancer cases are found in women over age 50.
Lumps in the breasts (3 images)
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(Doctor-Reviewed information)
There are many causes for lumps in the breast. These range from normal changes in your body to abnormal breast disease. Breast lumps are either benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous. See also: Breast lumps and cancerReviewer: Jeffrey Heit, MD, Internist with special emphasis on preventive health, fitness and nutrition, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 08/24/2009
Breast lump (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A breast lump is a swelling, protuberance, or lump in the breast.Reviewer: Dan Sacks, MD, FACOG. Obstetrics & Gynecology in Private Practice, West Palm Beach, FL. Review provided by Verimed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 08/17/2009
Breast lump removal (9 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Breast lump removal is surgery to remove a lump in the breast and some surrounding tissue from the breast.Reviewer: James Lee, M.D., Department of Surgery, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/26/2009
Mastectomy (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A mastectomy is the surgery to remove the entire breast. It is usually done to treat breast cancer.Reviewer: James Lee, M.D., Department of Surgery, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/26/2009
Breast lump self exam (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Breast cancer is easier to treat the earlier it is found. For that reason, some experts recommend that women over age 20 perform a monthly breast self exam to look for new lumps and other changes. The self exam has limitations, however, and is NOT...Reviewer: Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine; Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 05/26/2008
Mammography (7 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breasts. It is used to find tumors and to help tell the difference between noncancerous (benign) and cancerous (malignant) disease.Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 11/05/2009
Breast ultrasound (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Breast ultrasound is the use of ultrasonic sound waves (sounds that cannot be heard by humans) to produce an image of breast tissue.Reviewer: Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine; Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 05/26/2008
Breast biopsy (4 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A breast biopsy is the removal of breast tissue to examine it for signs of breast cancer or other disorders. Several different types of biopsy may be done. This article discusses open breast biopsy. An open biopsy involves making a small cut in th...Reviewer: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/10/2009
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