Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers to affect women. It can also affect men, but is 100 times more common in women. It is more common in older people, in people with certain genetic conditions, in people with a family history of breast cancer, and in people with certain non-cancerous conditions of the breast. It is also more common in women who start having periods before age 12 or who stop having periods after age 55. Although white women are more likely to develop breast cancer than African American women, African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer.
Most breast cancers are called ductal cancers, meaning they come from the ducts that carry milk to the nipple. The next most common type of breast cancer is called lobular cancer, meaning it comes from the tissues that produce milk. A few patients have a type of breast cancer which mixes both ductal and lobular cancer cells.
Symptoms may include:
A lump in the breast
A change in the way that the skin of the breast looks or feels
Pain or tenderness of the nipple
Thickening of the breast or underarm area
Changes in the size or shape of the breast
New dimples of the breast
Nipples which used to turn outward and now turn inward
New nipple discharge
What your doctor can do:
Ask about your symptoms, your medical history, your reproductive history, and your family history
Perform a physical exam focusing on the breasts, armpits, and the area above the collarbones
Order imaging tests like a mammogram, an ultrasound, and/or a breast MRI
Order a biopsy (removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope) to determine whether you have breast cancer and if so, what type of breast cancer
Refer you to a surgeon for removal of the cancerous tissue and possibly removal of the breast
Recommend chemotherapy and radiation therapy to lower the chance of the cancer coming back
Your doctor will discuss treatment options with you. You and your doctor will decide together what treatment is best for you.
Most breast cancers are called ductal cancers, meaning they come from the ducts that carry milk to the nipple. The next most common type of breast cancer is called lobular cancer, meaning it comes from the tissues that produce milk. A few patients have a type of breast cancer which mixes both ductal and lobular cancer cells.
Symptoms may include:
A lump in the breast
A change in the way that the skin of the breast looks or feels
Pain or tenderness of the nipple
Thickening of the breast or underarm area
Changes in the size or shape of the breast
New dimples of the breast
Nipples which used to turn outward and now turn inward
New nipple discharge
What your doctor can do:
Ask about your symptoms, your medical history, your reproductive history, and your family history
Perform a physical exam focusing on the breasts, armpits, and the area above the collarbones
Order imaging tests like a mammogram, an ultrasound, and/or a breast MRI
Order a biopsy (removal of a small amount of tissue for examination under a microscope) to determine whether you have breast cancer and if so, what type of breast cancer
Refer you to a surgeon for removal of the cancerous tissue and possibly removal of the breast
Recommend chemotherapy and radiation therapy to lower the chance of the cancer coming back
Your doctor will discuss treatment options with you. You and your doctor will decide together what treatment is best for you.
