What you Need to Know About Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and the second most common type of cancer overall. While it is extremely rare, breast cancer can also occur in men. Current figures suggest that women in the United States have a roughly one in eight chance of developing breast cancer at some point over the course of their lifetime. Overall, breast cancer accounts for around 30 percent of new cancer diagnoses and approximately 42,000 deaths every year.

Like all other forms of cancer, breast cancer is a result of mutated cells that develop too rapidly, to form malignant tumors. The type of breast cancer diagnosed depends on where in the breast the initial growth occurs. Most breast cancers begin in the lobules and ducts which produce and carry milk, though it can also occur in connective tissues.

Types

Breast cancer usually falls into one of two categories: invasive ductal carcinoma (when the cancer begins in the ducts and spreads to other parts of the breast) and invasive lobular carcinoma (when the cancer begins in the lobules and spreads to other parts of the breast). Both types of cancer are prone to spreading beyond the breast to other bodily organs and tissues.

Paget disease is an extremely rare form of breast cancer which affects the skin of the nipple and areola (the dark circle of skin around the nipple). It accounts for somewhere between one and four percent of all cancer cases and has an average diagnosis age of 57.

Early Signs and Symptoms

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) early symptoms that may indicate the presence of breast cancer are:

• Pain anywhere in the breast
• Dimpling or irritation of breast skin
• Change in the size or shape of the breast
• A lump in the breast or underarm
• Changes in the shape of the nipple
• Nipple discharge, including blood
• Swelling in any part of the breast

Treatment Options

Breast cancer at stage 0 or 1 is highly treatable, which is why it is important to catch the disease early on. Cancer of these stages may be treated with surgery to remove tumors, radiation therapy, hormone therapy or some combination of the three. At stage 2 and above it may be necessary to employ more invasive treatments, such as a full or partial mastectomy, or chemotherapy.

Talk To Your Doctor

Make an appointment to be checked out by a doctor if you are concerned about breast cancer. Many of the symptoms discussed in this article can be caused by other, less harmful conditions. However, it is always better to be careful when it comes to your health.