Breast cancer occurs when there is a malignant tumor inside the breast. Each year more than 185,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and the incidence of this disease is rising in developed countries. There are approximately 43,500 deaths from breast cancer annually, making this disease second to lung cancer as the leading cause of death by cancer among women. Ninety percent of breast cancers are detected by women themselves, often through breast self-examination (BSE).

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Signs and Symptoms

According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is often accompanied by the following signs and symptoms.

* A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area * A change in the size or shape of the breast * Nipple discharge or tenderness, or the nipple pulled back (inverted) into the breast * Ridges or pitting of the breast (the skin looks like the skin of an orange) * A change in the way the skin of the breast, areola, or nipple looks or feels (for example, warm, swollen, red, or scaly)

What Causes It?

While the cause of breast cancer is not known, it is clear that the disease is hormone-dependent. Women whose ovaries do not function and who never receive hormone replacement therapy do not develop breast cancer.

Who’s Most At Risk?

People with the following conditions or characteristics are at a higher-than-average risk for developing breast cancer.

* Women (comprise over 99 percent of cases; men comprise under one percent) * Increasing age * History of cancer in one breast * History of benign breast disease * Never giving birth or first pregnancy after 30 * Family history (first-degree relative) of breast cancer (significant for premenopausal women) * Early onset of menstruation and late menopause * Possibly, long-term oral contraceptive use (although this is controversial) * High doses of ionizing radiation before age 35 * History of cancer of the colon, thyroid, endometrium, or ovary * Diet high in animal fat, excessive alcohol consumption, and, possibly, obesity * Alterations in certain genes * Breast implants

Despite the relevance of risk factors, 70 to 80 percent of women with breast cancer have none of the known risk factors

Prevention

Early detection is important. Monthly breast self-examination and annual gynecologic examinations play a large role in early detection. Nutrition may play a role in prevention.

Treatment Plan

Treatment options depend on the size and location of the tumor, results of lab tests, and the stage, or extent, of the disease, along with the patient’s age and menopausal status, general health, and breast size.

Breast Cancer rate for Women

Drug Therapies

Your provider may prescribe one or more of the following therapies. * Radiation therapy— the use of high energy rays to kill cancer cells and prevent them from growing * Chemotherapy—the use of drugs to kill cancer cells * Hormonal therapy, which keeps cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow * Antitumor antibiotics * Antiestrogens, such as tamoxifen, which block the action of estrogen on breast tissue * Monoclonal antibodies to block the protein receptor that is produced in large numbers in women with breast cancer * High-dose progestogens (steroid hormones)

Surgical and Other Procedures

Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. The choice of surgeries includes the following. * Mastectomy—removal of the breast or as much of the breast tissue as possible; can be followed by breast reconstruction * Lumpectomy—removal of the tumor and a small amount of tissue around it, usually followed by radiation therapy * Segmental, or partial, mastectomy—removal of the tumor and a small amount of tissue around it, as well as the lining of the chest muscles below the tumor and some of the lymph nodes under the arm. It is usually followed by radiation therapy.