Male breast cancer is uncommon, accounting for only about 1% of all breast cancers. Male breast cancer is cancer that forms in the breast tissue of men. Though breast cancer is most commonly thought of as a woman's disease. It happens most common in older men, men between the ages of 60 and 70. though male breast cancer can occur at any age.
The cause of male breast cancer has not been fully characterized, but both environmental influences and genetic (inherited) factors are likely to play a role in its development. The following risk factors for the development of male breast cancer have been identified. Risk factors for male breast cancer include exposure to radiation, a family history of breast cancer and having high estrogen levels, which can occur with diseases like cirrhosis or Klinefelter's syndrome.
The most common type of male breast cancer is infiltrating ductal carcinoma, which is also a common type of breast cancer in women. Other uncommon types of cancers of the breast that have been reported in men include ductal carcinoma in situ (cancer in the ducts that has not spread beyond the ducts themselves).
Symptoms of male breast cancer include lumps, changes to the nipple or breast skin, or discharge of fluid from the nipple. The most common symptom of breast cancer in men is finding a firm, non-painful mass located just below the nipple. The average size of breast cancer in men when first discovered is about 2.5 cm in diameter. The cancer may cause skin changes in the area of the nipple. These changes can include ulceration of the skin, puckering or dimpling, redness or scaling of the nipple, or retraction (turning inward) of the nipple. Bloody or opaque discharge from the nipple may also occur.
Men diagnosed with male breast cancer at an early stage have a good chance for a cure. Still, many men delay seeing their doctors if they notice unusual signs or symptoms, such as a breast lump. This is due to lack of awareness. Some men ignore breast lumps or think they are caused by an infection or some other reason, and they do not get medical treatment until the mass has had a chance to grow. Some men are embarrassed about finding a breast lump and worry that someone might question their masculinity. This may also delay diagnosis and reduce a man's chances for successful treatment. For this reason, many breast cancer in man are diagnosed when the disease is more advanced.
Treatment for male breast cancer is usually a mastectomy, which is surgery to remove the breast. Other treatments include radiation, chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy.
Breast Cancer Survivor - Stefanie LaRue
Meet Stefanie LaRue, she was diagnosed with a stage 4 metastatic breast cancer at the age of 30. Contradictory after being told by her doctors that she was too young to have breast cancer. She went through multiple surgeries and months of chemo, Stefanie's doctors have classified her as having no evidence of the disease. Today, Stefanie acts as an advocate for breast cancer education and prevention, sharing her story with others and urging women to empower themselves as patients.
Breast Cancer Survivor Story - Laura Brokaw
This video is about Laura Brokaw, a breast cancer survivor. In this video, she tells her story on how she discovered she had breast cancer, then what happened next, and how she found a hospital for the treatment that gave her a second chance.
One Of The Youngest Breast Cancer Survivor
One of the youngest breast cancer survivor, Hannah Powell-Auslam, return to talk about how she return to a normal life after battling with Breast Cancer.
At the tender age of 11 Hannah Powell-Auslam is now a sixth-grader, a big Jonas Brothers fan and a softball lover who enjoys spending time with her friends.
Hannah Powell-Auslam talks about her cancer treatment.
She's also likely the youngest breast cancer survivor in the country.
After battling the disease since April, Hannah finally had her last chemotherapy treatment this fall, and shortly thereafter found out her cancer was no longer detectable.
The young girl from Fullerton, Calif., told Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America" Friday that she is now feeling "good" and is advocating for all children to tell their parents immediately when there is something wrong with your body.
"Tell your parents right away," Hannah said, adding that she had waited to tell her mom about the lump in her breast because she was "embarrassed."
When "GMA" first reported Hannah's story this past spring, she had just been diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her primordial breast tissue -- the very tissue that in a healthy body would begin to develop into a breast once the child hits puberty.
"Originally I thought it was no big deal," Hannah's mom, Carrie Auslam, told "GMA."
But what had started as an itch to Hannah, her mother and doctors soon realized was much more serious.
Following the removal of the lump in her breast the doctor called her parents back into the office.
"He said, 'I'm really sorry to tell you, but it's cancer," Hannah's father, Jeremy Auslam, said.
Hannah's parents said they waited a few days to learn more about the disease and treatment plan before they told Hannah about the diagnosis.
"Her first question was, 'Am I going to die?'" Carrie Auslam said.
It was devastating news to the 10-year-old girl.
"I was just, how could this happen? I'm 10, so I was really shocked" Hannah told "Good Morning America" in May. "I just want to be a normal kid. I want to go back to school, play sports, hang out with my friends."
But Hannah couldn't go back to normal, at least not yet. And because of her young age and the rarity of the disease, doctors struggled to find a treatment plan that was age appropriate.
"Breast cancer in this population is exceedingly rare, less than one in a million" said Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition.
The form of breast cancer that Hannah had, secretory carcinoma, has been found in only a few hundred cases of young girls, representing less than .1 percent of all breast cancers, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Friends Band Together Behind Hannah
From tumor-removal to mastectomy to removal of the four cancerous lymph nodes under her arms and an exhausting 12 weeks of chemo, Hannah braved it all and even invited us to be there as her friends threw her a party where they shaved her head and showed their support.
"I feel sad. My hair is gone," Hannah told us choking back tears. "You feel like you are sick all of the time. You just want to lie in bed and be in your closed-off little box."
"It should be the furthest thing from your mind," said Hannah's mom. "Ten-year-olds don't get breast cancer."
But this 10-year old did and fought it with fortitude far surpassing her years.
First stop to celebrate the good news? Hannah became the envy of young girls the world over when she got to meet her heroes, the Jonas Brothers.
And this morning on "Good Morning America," Roberts surprised Hannah and her parents with American Girl dolls and a gift certificate for lunch at the store with her parents.
The 11-year-old, who said she was "excited to be here," was also excited to receive the new dolls.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/11-year-youngest-breast-cancer-survivors/story?id=8782697
At the tender age of 11 Hannah Powell-Auslam is now a sixth-grader, a big Jonas Brothers fan and a softball lover who enjoys spending time with her friends.
Hannah Powell-Auslam talks about her cancer treatment.
She's also likely the youngest breast cancer survivor in the country.
After battling the disease since April, Hannah finally had her last chemotherapy treatment this fall, and shortly thereafter found out her cancer was no longer detectable.
The young girl from Fullerton, Calif., told Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America" Friday that she is now feeling "good" and is advocating for all children to tell their parents immediately when there is something wrong with your body.
"Tell your parents right away," Hannah said, adding that she had waited to tell her mom about the lump in her breast because she was "embarrassed."
When "GMA" first reported Hannah's story this past spring, she had just been diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her primordial breast tissue -- the very tissue that in a healthy body would begin to develop into a breast once the child hits puberty.
"Originally I thought it was no big deal," Hannah's mom, Carrie Auslam, told "GMA."
But what had started as an itch to Hannah, her mother and doctors soon realized was much more serious.
Following the removal of the lump in her breast the doctor called her parents back into the office.
"He said, 'I'm really sorry to tell you, but it's cancer," Hannah's father, Jeremy Auslam, said.
Hannah's parents said they waited a few days to learn more about the disease and treatment plan before they told Hannah about the diagnosis.
"Her first question was, 'Am I going to die?'" Carrie Auslam said.
It was devastating news to the 10-year-old girl.
"I was just, how could this happen? I'm 10, so I was really shocked" Hannah told "Good Morning America" in May. "I just want to be a normal kid. I want to go back to school, play sports, hang out with my friends."
But Hannah couldn't go back to normal, at least not yet. And because of her young age and the rarity of the disease, doctors struggled to find a treatment plan that was age appropriate.
"Breast cancer in this population is exceedingly rare, less than one in a million" said Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition.
The form of breast cancer that Hannah had, secretory carcinoma, has been found in only a few hundred cases of young girls, representing less than .1 percent of all breast cancers, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Friends Band Together Behind Hannah
From tumor-removal to mastectomy to removal of the four cancerous lymph nodes under her arms and an exhausting 12 weeks of chemo, Hannah braved it all and even invited us to be there as her friends threw her a party where they shaved her head and showed their support.
"I feel sad. My hair is gone," Hannah told us choking back tears. "You feel like you are sick all of the time. You just want to lie in bed and be in your closed-off little box."
"It should be the furthest thing from your mind," said Hannah's mom. "Ten-year-olds don't get breast cancer."
But this 10-year old did and fought it with fortitude far surpassing her years.
First stop to celebrate the good news? Hannah became the envy of young girls the world over when she got to meet her heroes, the Jonas Brothers.
And this morning on "Good Morning America," Roberts surprised Hannah and her parents with American Girl dolls and a gift certificate for lunch at the store with her parents.
The 11-year-old, who said she was "excited to be here," was also excited to receive the new dolls.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/11-year-youngest-breast-cancer-survivors/story?id=8782697
Breast Cancer Youngest Age Patient
For many of the estimated 180,000 women whose doctors will tell them they have breast cancer this year, the diagnosis will no doubt come as a shock. A fifth-grade student recently underwent a mastectomy after a cancer diagnosis.
But for the parents of 10-year-old Hannah Powell-Auslam of Fullerton, Calif., who learned in early April that their daughter had breast cancer, the news was particularly hard to swallow.
"It should be the furthest thing from your mind," Hannah's mother Carrie Auslam told reporters from KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. "Ten-year-olds don't get breast cancer."
For Hannah, the realization that she would have to deal with a disease normally associated with women many times her age was a difficult one to take.
"I told my mom, I just wanna be a normal kid," she told reporters. "I want to go back to school, play sports, hang out with my friends. So I started crying."
According to the family Web site documenting Hannah's fight against her cancer, Hannah underwent surgery to remove her breast on May 7, and she will likely progress to chemotherapy to minimize the chances that the cancer will spread or recur.
But Hannah's family said that the girl has endured the diagnosis with remarkable strength. Today, after an operation to remove the tumor and the surrounding breast tissue, her parents say on a family blog that she is back home and now has become a young symbol of the fight against cancer.
Breast Cancer Exceedingly Rare in Kids
As of Monday evening, requests by ABC News to contact both the family and Hannah's doctors were unsuccessful. Media reports have identified her cancer as an invasive ductal carcinoma at Stage IIA -- a type of cancer that oncologists say has rarely, if ever, been found in a girl of Hannah's age.
However, Hannah's father Jeremy Auslam said on the Web site that while his daughter had originally been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, it was later changed to invasive secretory carcinoma. This type of cancer is also rare in girls of Hannah's age and younger; it has only ever been documented in perhaps a few hundred girls in this age group.
But Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said that the change in diagnosis is good news, if true.
"This type of cancer is also extremely rare, but in children is more common than ductal carcinoma," he said. "The rarity of this disease makes information about it scarce; nonetheless it is thought to be a slow growing tumor with an excellent prognosis."
Hannah's Cancer a Scary Diagnosis
Regardless of what type of tumor it was, any kind of cancer is a heavy diagnosis to handle for a child Hannah's age, noted Lillie Shockney, administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center in Baltimore, Md.
"This is the youngest case I've ever heard of," Shockney said. "I find for youngsters at this age its best to not be focusing on the kind of cancer it is, but that it is cancer and that surgery and other treatment are needed.
"It's hard enough for adults to get their heads around breast cancer, much less a child."
While Hannah's story is ultimately a hopeful one, Shockney said that it is also highly unusual, and she added that she does not feel that it would be appropriate for parents to believe breast cancer is a major risk for their young daughters.
"I don't want the outcome to be that mothers are panicked across the country wanting to have their daughters in elementary and middle and high school to get mammograms or even clinical breast exams," Shockney said. "This is a highly unusual situation."
Shockney was not the only one to express reservations about how the situation should be broached to the public. While the Auslam family has been very open about Hannah's fight, the media coverage of her experience has sparked debate among breast cancer experts as to whether or not such a rare case of cancer should be given widespread coverage.
The risk of calling attention to such a story, said Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, could give parents and their daughters the impression that this form of cancer is far more common in young girls than it actually is -- a misconception that she said could lead to unnecessary fear and unneeded medical procedures.
"Breast cancer in this population is exceedingly rare, less than one in a million," Visco said. "We don't want these girls doing self exams and getting mammograms. We don't want to spread that message; it will only result in harm and no benefit. It's important to understand: this could be harmful to these young women."
Cancer in Young Girls 'Not a Public Health Issue'
Dr. Daniel Hayes, clinical director of the Breast Oncology Program at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, agreed that there was no need for young girls to begin unnecessary cancer screening.
"This is not a major public health issue, and there is no 'take home' message," he said. "What we don't want is a bunch of young girls having unnecessary biopsies or, worse, mammograms."
On the other side of the debate is Dr. Marisa Weiss, the president and founder of Breastcancer.org and author of the book "Taking Care of Your 'Girls': A Breast Health Guide for Girls, Teens, and In-Betweens."
Weiss heads up the Prevention Initiative for girls, a national outreach program designed to educate girls ages 8 to 18 on breast health and breast cancer prevention. She firmly supports the idea of educating girls about breast cancer and how to prevent it, even at a young age range. At the same time, she noted, "the fact is that breast cancer in girls is extraordinarily rare, though it does happen."
So why tell these girls about breast cancer at all? Weiss said that educating girls when they are young lays the foundation for a lifetime of breast health.
"What we do is explain to them what to expect in terms of breast development -- what are healthy changes, and what are unhealthy changes."
Weiss added that establishing positive breast health habits when girls are young -- habits such as healthy eating, exercise and smoking avoidance -- has the potential to lower future breast cancer rates.
"There is an opportunity, while they are that age, to build the healthiest foundation possible… this is just about the time when they begin to take up those unhealthy behaviors."
Parents Must Communicate Concerns to Doctors
Regardless of how rare Hannah's cancer is, some doctors said the case illustrates the need for parents to communicate their concerns to doctors -- and for doctors to take into account any potential health threats, however unusual.
"What bears emphasizing is that: a) this is incredibly rare, and teenagers need not worry about this happening to them; and b) physicians need to be aware that, while rare, this can happen, so that new lumps should be taken seriously," said Dr. George Sledge, professor of Medicine and Pathology at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and editor-in-chief of the journal Clinical Breast Cancer.
Lichtenfeld agreed. "Hannah's case, which thankfully appears to be having an excellent outcome, is extremely unusual and should not be cause for undue alarm," he said. "As with any health issue, parents who are concerned about any seemingly unusual physical change should talk to their family's health care professional."
Likewise, Hannah told KCAL that she hopes her experience will help other children like her keep open lines of communication with their parents when it comes to health issues.
"I want to set an example for all the kids in the world, that if there's something wrong with your body, you tell your parents," she said.
Michelle Schlief and the ABC News Medical Unit contributed to this report.
Source: http://a.abcnews.com/Health/OnCallPlusBreastCancerNews/story?id=7619276&page=1
But for the parents of 10-year-old Hannah Powell-Auslam of Fullerton, Calif., who learned in early April that their daughter had breast cancer, the news was particularly hard to swallow.
"It should be the furthest thing from your mind," Hannah's mother Carrie Auslam told reporters from KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. "Ten-year-olds don't get breast cancer."
For Hannah, the realization that she would have to deal with a disease normally associated with women many times her age was a difficult one to take.
"I told my mom, I just wanna be a normal kid," she told reporters. "I want to go back to school, play sports, hang out with my friends. So I started crying."
According to the family Web site documenting Hannah's fight against her cancer, Hannah underwent surgery to remove her breast on May 7, and she will likely progress to chemotherapy to minimize the chances that the cancer will spread or recur.
But Hannah's family said that the girl has endured the diagnosis with remarkable strength. Today, after an operation to remove the tumor and the surrounding breast tissue, her parents say on a family blog that she is back home and now has become a young symbol of the fight against cancer.
Breast Cancer Exceedingly Rare in Kids
As of Monday evening, requests by ABC News to contact both the family and Hannah's doctors were unsuccessful. Media reports have identified her cancer as an invasive ductal carcinoma at Stage IIA -- a type of cancer that oncologists say has rarely, if ever, been found in a girl of Hannah's age.
However, Hannah's father Jeremy Auslam said on the Web site that while his daughter had originally been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, it was later changed to invasive secretory carcinoma. This type of cancer is also rare in girls of Hannah's age and younger; it has only ever been documented in perhaps a few hundred girls in this age group.
But Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said that the change in diagnosis is good news, if true.
"This type of cancer is also extremely rare, but in children is more common than ductal carcinoma," he said. "The rarity of this disease makes information about it scarce; nonetheless it is thought to be a slow growing tumor with an excellent prognosis."
Hannah's Cancer a Scary Diagnosis
Regardless of what type of tumor it was, any kind of cancer is a heavy diagnosis to handle for a child Hannah's age, noted Lillie Shockney, administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center in Baltimore, Md.
"This is the youngest case I've ever heard of," Shockney said. "I find for youngsters at this age its best to not be focusing on the kind of cancer it is, but that it is cancer and that surgery and other treatment are needed.
"It's hard enough for adults to get their heads around breast cancer, much less a child."
While Hannah's story is ultimately a hopeful one, Shockney said that it is also highly unusual, and she added that she does not feel that it would be appropriate for parents to believe breast cancer is a major risk for their young daughters.
"I don't want the outcome to be that mothers are panicked across the country wanting to have their daughters in elementary and middle and high school to get mammograms or even clinical breast exams," Shockney said. "This is a highly unusual situation."
Shockney was not the only one to express reservations about how the situation should be broached to the public. While the Auslam family has been very open about Hannah's fight, the media coverage of her experience has sparked debate among breast cancer experts as to whether or not such a rare case of cancer should be given widespread coverage.
The risk of calling attention to such a story, said Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, could give parents and their daughters the impression that this form of cancer is far more common in young girls than it actually is -- a misconception that she said could lead to unnecessary fear and unneeded medical procedures.
"Breast cancer in this population is exceedingly rare, less than one in a million," Visco said. "We don't want these girls doing self exams and getting mammograms. We don't want to spread that message; it will only result in harm and no benefit. It's important to understand: this could be harmful to these young women."
Cancer in Young Girls 'Not a Public Health Issue'
Dr. Daniel Hayes, clinical director of the Breast Oncology Program at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, agreed that there was no need for young girls to begin unnecessary cancer screening.
"This is not a major public health issue, and there is no 'take home' message," he said. "What we don't want is a bunch of young girls having unnecessary biopsies or, worse, mammograms."
On the other side of the debate is Dr. Marisa Weiss, the president and founder of Breastcancer.org and author of the book "Taking Care of Your 'Girls': A Breast Health Guide for Girls, Teens, and In-Betweens."
Weiss heads up the Prevention Initiative for girls, a national outreach program designed to educate girls ages 8 to 18 on breast health and breast cancer prevention. She firmly supports the idea of educating girls about breast cancer and how to prevent it, even at a young age range. At the same time, she noted, "the fact is that breast cancer in girls is extraordinarily rare, though it does happen."
So why tell these girls about breast cancer at all? Weiss said that educating girls when they are young lays the foundation for a lifetime of breast health.
"What we do is explain to them what to expect in terms of breast development -- what are healthy changes, and what are unhealthy changes."
Weiss added that establishing positive breast health habits when girls are young -- habits such as healthy eating, exercise and smoking avoidance -- has the potential to lower future breast cancer rates.
"There is an opportunity, while they are that age, to build the healthiest foundation possible… this is just about the time when they begin to take up those unhealthy behaviors."
Parents Must Communicate Concerns to Doctors
Regardless of how rare Hannah's cancer is, some doctors said the case illustrates the need for parents to communicate their concerns to doctors -- and for doctors to take into account any potential health threats, however unusual.
"What bears emphasizing is that: a) this is incredibly rare, and teenagers need not worry about this happening to them; and b) physicians need to be aware that, while rare, this can happen, so that new lumps should be taken seriously," said Dr. George Sledge, professor of Medicine and Pathology at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and editor-in-chief of the journal Clinical Breast Cancer.
Lichtenfeld agreed. "Hannah's case, which thankfully appears to be having an excellent outcome, is extremely unusual and should not be cause for undue alarm," he said. "As with any health issue, parents who are concerned about any seemingly unusual physical change should talk to their family's health care professional."
Likewise, Hannah told KCAL that she hopes her experience will help other children like her keep open lines of communication with their parents when it comes to health issues.
"I want to set an example for all the kids in the world, that if there's something wrong with your body, you tell your parents," she said.
Michelle Schlief and the ABC News Medical Unit contributed to this report.
Source: http://a.abcnews.com/Health/OnCallPlusBreastCancerNews/story?id=7619276&page=1
Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon
The Breast cancer pink ribbon aimed to create a global community to support breast cancer patients, survivors and their families all over the world. Ribbons have been used to express solidarity on the part of the wearer with the identified cause since the early to late 20th Century.The Susan G. Komen Foundation handed out pink ribbons to participants in its New York City race for breast cancer survivors, in the fall of 1991. The first breast cancer awareness stamp in the U.S., featuring a pink ribbon, was issued 1996. Breast Cancer Awareness Month each October, hundreds, if not thousands, of products are emblazoned with pink ribbons, colored pink, or otherwise sold with a promise of a small portion of the total cost being donated to support breast cancer awareness or research.
Nevertheless, promotion of the pink ribbon as a symbol for breast cancer has not been credited with saving any lives. Wearing or displaying a pink ribbon has been denounced as a kind of slacktivism, because it has no practical positive effect. Particularly sales promotions for products that increase pollution, have been condemned as pink washing (a portmanteau of pink ribbon and whitewash).
Aspirin and Breast Cancer
New research today suggest an inexpensive way for woman who survived from breast cancer to reduce their odd of getting it again. It probably in your cabinet now. The answer is Aspirin. Studies have shown that it can prevent heart disease and cancer and now there is evidence that aspirin may also prevent cancer from spreading.
3 Day Breast Cancer Walk 2010 Schedule
The Susan G. Komen 3 day breast cancer walk are held in cities throughtout the USA. Walkers walk approximately 20 miles a day, and camping out each night. The 3 day breast cancer walk benefiting the Susan G. Komen Foundation are challenging and energizing events held in multiple US cities every year. Walkers are challenged to walk approximately 20 miles a day for 3 days. They camp out each night in a tent city. All meals, snacks, and trail support are provided. Each walker must raise a minimum of $2300 in donations to participate.
The 2010 schedule are as followed:
Boston: 23-25 July
Cleveland: 30 July - 1 August
Chicago: 6-8 August
Michigan: 13-15 August
Twin Cities: 20-22 August
Denver: 27-29 August
Seattle: 24-26 September
San Francisco Bay Area: 1-3 October
Washington, DC: 8-10 October
Philadelphia: 15-17 October
Atlanta: 22-24 October
Tampa Bay: 29-31 October
Dallas/Fort Worth: 5-7 November
Arizona: 12-14 November
San Diego: 19-21 November
Registration can be done online or by mail with a fee of $90. Once registered participant will receive the training packet and be assigned to a coach. Orientation sessions are held in the walk cities itself, and walk training groups are held in various locations. These event is open to both men and women with age 16 and above. Minors must participate with their parent or legal guardian.
The 2010 schedule are as followed:
Boston: 23-25 July
Cleveland: 30 July - 1 August
Chicago: 6-8 August
Michigan: 13-15 August
Twin Cities: 20-22 August
Denver: 27-29 August
Seattle: 24-26 September
San Francisco Bay Area: 1-3 October
Washington, DC: 8-10 October
Philadelphia: 15-17 October
Atlanta: 22-24 October
Tampa Bay: 29-31 October
Dallas/Fort Worth: 5-7 November
Arizona: 12-14 November
San Diego: 19-21 November
Registration can be done online or by mail with a fee of $90. Once registered participant will receive the training packet and be assigned to a coach. Orientation sessions are held in the walk cities itself, and walk training groups are held in various locations. These event is open to both men and women with age 16 and above. Minors must participate with their parent or legal guardian.
Breast Cancer Statistics
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today (after lung cancer) and is the most common cancer among women, aside from non-melanoma cancers. Its is also the most common cancer among Canadian women.
Breast cancer incidence in women in the United States is 1 in 8 (about 13%). Approximately 1.3 million women will be diagnosed with breast cancer annually worldwide and about 465,000 will die from the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer rates have risen about 30% in the past 25 years in western countries. This is due to increased in screening which detects the cancer in earlier stages.
In 2009, an estimation of 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 62,280 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. Less than 1% of all new breast cancer cases is expected to occur in men.
* An estimated 22,700 women diagnosed with breast cancer, 5,400 will die.
* An estimated 180 men diagnosed with breast cancer, 50 will die of it.
* On average, 437 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every week.
* On average, 104 Canadian women will die of breast cancer every week.
Estimated Probability: One in 9 women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime and one in 28 will die of it. The lifetime probability of developing breast cancer in developed countries is about 4.8%, according to the American Cancer Society (the probability is about 13% for any type of cancer). In developing countries, the lifetime probability of developing breast cancer is about 1.8%.
Breast cancer survivors rate is about 2.5 million women in the U.S. in year 2008.
Breast cancer incidence in women in the United States is 1 in 8 (about 13%). Approximately 1.3 million women will be diagnosed with breast cancer annually worldwide and about 465,000 will die from the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer rates have risen about 30% in the past 25 years in western countries. This is due to increased in screening which detects the cancer in earlier stages.
In 2009, an estimation of 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 62,280 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. Less than 1% of all new breast cancer cases is expected to occur in men.
* An estimated 22,700 women diagnosed with breast cancer, 5,400 will die.
* An estimated 180 men diagnosed with breast cancer, 50 will die of it.
* On average, 437 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every week.
* On average, 104 Canadian women will die of breast cancer every week.
Estimated Probability: One in 9 women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime and one in 28 will die of it. The lifetime probability of developing breast cancer in developed countries is about 4.8%, according to the American Cancer Society (the probability is about 13% for any type of cancer). In developing countries, the lifetime probability of developing breast cancer is about 1.8%.
Breast cancer survivors rate is about 2.5 million women in the U.S. in year 2008.
Alternative Breast Cancer Treatment | Aspirin May Improve Chances of Surviving
Women suffering from breast cancer who take aspirin regularly appear to improve their chances of surviving the disease and preventing it from recurring, research suggests.
Patients taking the anti-inflammatory drug, usually for heart disease, had a 50 per cent lower chance of dying from breast cancer and a 50 per cent lower risk that the cancer would spread, according to a study of more than 4,000 women. Michelle Holmes of Harvard Medical School, who led the study published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, said that the finding would need to be confirmed in other clinical trials, but suggested that aspirin might be a low-cost intervention to help improve survival rates. The risk was found to be lowest in women taking an aspirin between two and five times a week.
Continue Aspirin may improve chances of surviving breast cancer
Patients taking the anti-inflammatory drug, usually for heart disease, had a 50 per cent lower chance of dying from breast cancer and a 50 per cent lower risk that the cancer would spread, according to a study of more than 4,000 women. Michelle Holmes of Harvard Medical School, who led the study published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, said that the finding would need to be confirmed in other clinical trials, but suggested that aspirin might be a low-cost intervention to help improve survival rates. The risk was found to be lowest in women taking an aspirin between two and five times a week.
Continue Aspirin may improve chances of surviving breast cancer
What is inflamatory breast cancer (IBC)?
Inflamatory breast cancer is a rare, less common but very aggressive type of breast cancer. It tends to be diagnosed in younger women compared to non-IBC breast cancer, in which the cancer cells block and hinder the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. This type of breast cancer is called “inflammatory” because the breast often looks swollen and red, or “inflamed.” IBC accounts for 1 to 5 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States. It occurs more frequently and at a younger age in African Americans than in Whites. Like other types of breast cancer, IBC can also occur in men, but usually at an older age than in women. Some studies have shown an connection between family chronicle of breast cancer and IBC, but further studies are needed to draw firm conclusions.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Symptoms
Inflammatory breast cancer is a less common but aggressive form of breast cancer, and many women overlook the warning signs. Dr. Beth Overmoyer of Dana-Farber discusses the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer and what you should do if you discover them.
Read more on Signs Of Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Read more on Signs Of Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Stages
Breast cancer stages are divided into four number of stages classified by stages of breast cancer development. The stages allows a better understanding of prognosis. The breast cancer staging are based on the size of the tumor, is the cancer is invasive or non-invasive, are there any lymph nodes are involved, and whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast or another part of the body.
The purpose for the staging system is to help organize the different factors and some of the personality features of the cancer into categories, in order to select the treatment (because treatment depends on the stage of disease) and in addition, the classification makes it possible to describe the breast cancer staging, so that was understandable to all doctors all over the world. The results of treatment based on this stages can be compare.
Stage 0 (early stage)
Stage 0 is considered as a state used to describe non-invasive breast cancers. In stage 0, malignancy is localized in the breast tissue and there is no evidence of cancer cells or non-cancerous abnormal cells breaking out of the part of the breast, or of getting through to or invading neighboring normal tissue, and there are no signs of circulation to the lymph nodes.
Stage 1 describes invasive breast cancer, cancer cells are breaking through to or invading neighboring normal tissue) of breast cancer: Tumor size measures less than two centimeters, metastases to other organs and tissues are not available, no lymph nodes are involved.
Stage 2A - Tumor is less than 2 cm in cross section with the involvement of the lymph node, or tumor from 2 to 5 cm without involvement of axillary lymph nodes. There are also cases no tumor can be found in the breast, but cancer cells are found in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes under the arm),
Stage 2B - Tumor is larger than 5 cm in cross section when the result of axillary lymph nodes research is negative for cancer cells or tumor from 2 to 5 cm in diameter with the involvement of axillary lymph nodes.
Described the invasive late (metastatic) stages of breast cancer when cancer cells spread to the lymph nodes and other tissues and is divided into subcategories known as 3A, 3B, and 3C.
Stage 3A (local spread of breast cancer) - tumor more than 5 cm with spread to axillary lymph nodes, or tumor of any size with metastases in axillary lymph nodes, which are knitted to each other or with the surrounding tissues, OR tumor is larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, OR no tumor is found in the breast. Cancer is found in axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone.
Stage 3B - Tumor of any size has spread or metastases into the skin, chest wall or internal lymph nodes of mammary gland (located below the breast inside of chest). May have spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clustered together or adhering to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone. Inflammatory breast cancer is considered at this stage.
Stage 3C - Tumor of any size with a more widespread metastases and involvement of more lymph nodes. The cancer has spread to lymph nodes above or below the collarbone, and may have spread to axillary lymph nodes or to lymph nodes near the breastbone. There may be no sign of cancer in the breast.
An invasive breast cancer defined as the presence of tumors (regardless of the sizes), spread to parts of the body that are located far from the chest which can involve the bones, lungs, liver, brain or distant lymph nodes.
Metastatic cancer is considered as stage 4. "Metastatic at presentation" - the breast cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes, even though this is the first diagnosis of breast cancer. The reason for this is that the primary breast cancer was not found when it was only inside the breast.
The purpose for the staging system is to help organize the different factors and some of the personality features of the cancer into categories, in order to select the treatment (because treatment depends on the stage of disease) and in addition, the classification makes it possible to describe the breast cancer staging, so that was understandable to all doctors all over the world. The results of treatment based on this stages can be compare.
Stage 0 (early stage)
Stage 0 is considered as a state used to describe non-invasive breast cancers. In stage 0, malignancy is localized in the breast tissue and there is no evidence of cancer cells or non-cancerous abnormal cells breaking out of the part of the breast, or of getting through to or invading neighboring normal tissue, and there are no signs of circulation to the lymph nodes.
Stage 1 describes invasive breast cancer, cancer cells are breaking through to or invading neighboring normal tissue) of breast cancer: Tumor size measures less than two centimeters, metastases to other organs and tissues are not available, no lymph nodes are involved.
Stage 2 breast cancer
described invasive breast cancer which is divided into subcategories known as 2A and 2B.Stage 2A - Tumor is less than 2 cm in cross section with the involvement of the lymph node, or tumor from 2 to 5 cm without involvement of axillary lymph nodes. There are also cases no tumor can be found in the breast, but cancer cells are found in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes under the arm),
Stage 2B - Tumor is larger than 5 cm in cross section when the result of axillary lymph nodes research is negative for cancer cells or tumor from 2 to 5 cm in diameter with the involvement of axillary lymph nodes.
Stage 3 Breast Cancer
Described the invasive late (metastatic) stages of breast cancer when cancer cells spread to the lymph nodes and other tissues and is divided into subcategories known as 3A, 3B, and 3C.
Stage 3A (local spread of breast cancer) - tumor more than 5 cm with spread to axillary lymph nodes, or tumor of any size with metastases in axillary lymph nodes, which are knitted to each other or with the surrounding tissues, OR tumor is larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, OR no tumor is found in the breast. Cancer is found in axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone.
Stage 3B - Tumor of any size has spread or metastases into the skin, chest wall or internal lymph nodes of mammary gland (located below the breast inside of chest). May have spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clustered together or adhering to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone. Inflammatory breast cancer is considered at this stage.
Stage 3C - Tumor of any size with a more widespread metastases and involvement of more lymph nodes. The cancer has spread to lymph nodes above or below the collarbone, and may have spread to axillary lymph nodes or to lymph nodes near the breastbone. There may be no sign of cancer in the breast.
Stage Four Breast Cancer
An invasive breast cancer defined as the presence of tumors (regardless of the sizes), spread to parts of the body that are located far from the chest which can involve the bones, lungs, liver, brain or distant lymph nodes.
Metastatic cancer is considered as stage 4. "Metastatic at presentation" - the breast cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes, even though this is the first diagnosis of breast cancer. The reason for this is that the primary breast cancer was not found when it was only inside the breast.
Breast Cancer Awareness - The Pink Glove Dance
Hospital employees put together this video to generate breast cancer awareness throughout their hospital system. They had a ton of fun putting this together and hope it inspires others to join in the cause.
Signs of Breast Cancer
Oftentimes there are no significant signs of breast cancer that you can see or feel. If there are any significant signs, the more common ones are lump, which is an area of thickening, or a dimple in the breast. Less common signs include breast swelling up and inflammation or an fleshed out underarm lymph node.
However. it doesn't mean that you have breast cancer even if you have one or more of these signs. Most breast lumps turn out to be benign (not cancerous).
It is still very important that you consult your doctor immediately if you're worried that you might have breast cancer. Having your doctor's diagnosis will ease your worry, and if anything is found, you'll be able to take care of it promptly.
Physical examination of the breast is one way to uncovering breast cancer. Specific symptoms associated with breast cancer are
* lumps, redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
* nipple changes, nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
* cysts, nipple discharge other than breast milk
* breast pain, swelling of all or part of the breast and skin irritation or dimpling
These changes can be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain.
A lump may be too small for you to feel or to cause any unusual changes initially. Normally, an unusual area turns up on a screening mammogram (x-ray of the breast), which results to further examination.
Commonly, the first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or aggregate in the breast that one can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more plausible to be cancer. But sometimes cancers can be tender, soft, and rounded. So it's important to have anything abnormal ascertained by your doctor. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 breast lumps (90%) are benign.
Inflammatory breast cancer can look red and inflamed which could also cause soreness. Another rare type of breast cancer surfaces as rashes on and around the nipple. It is known as Paget's disease which appears a bit like eczema and is occasionally misidentified as that at first.
And you can read more about the breast cancer causes.
However. it doesn't mean that you have breast cancer even if you have one or more of these signs. Most breast lumps turn out to be benign (not cancerous).
It is still very important that you consult your doctor immediately if you're worried that you might have breast cancer. Having your doctor's diagnosis will ease your worry, and if anything is found, you'll be able to take care of it promptly.
Physical examination of the breast is one way to uncovering breast cancer. Specific symptoms associated with breast cancer are
* lumps, redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
* nipple changes, nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
* cysts, nipple discharge other than breast milk
* breast pain, swelling of all or part of the breast and skin irritation or dimpling
These changes can be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain.
A lump may be too small for you to feel or to cause any unusual changes initially. Normally, an unusual area turns up on a screening mammogram (x-ray of the breast), which results to further examination.
Commonly, the first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or aggregate in the breast that one can feel. A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more plausible to be cancer. But sometimes cancers can be tender, soft, and rounded. So it's important to have anything abnormal ascertained by your doctor. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 breast lumps (90%) are benign.
Inflammatory breast cancer can look red and inflamed which could also cause soreness. Another rare type of breast cancer surfaces as rashes on and around the nipple. It is known as Paget's disease which appears a bit like eczema and is occasionally misidentified as that at first.
And you can read more about the breast cancer causes.
Breast Cancer Causes
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| Breast Cancer Causes |
Breast Cancer Causes
Gender
Gender is one of the biggest risk causes because breast cancer mostly occurs in women. While men also get the disease, it is about 100 times more common in women than in men.
Age
Age is another critical factor that causes breast cancer, even though breast cancer may occur at any age but the risk increases with age. Generally, women over 50 are more likely to get breast cancer than younger women. Most breast cancers (about 80%) develop in women over the age of 50. The average woman at age 30 years has one chance in 280 of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years. This chance increases to one in 70 for a woman aged 40 years, and to one in 40 at age 50 years. A 60-year-old woman has a one in 30 chance of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years.
Race
African-American women are more likely than Caucasian to get breast cancer before menopause but white women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African American women in the U.S. and also African American women are more likely to die of breast cancer due to faster growing tumors in their race. Statistics show that Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women have a lower risk of getting and dying from breast cancer. Why this is the case and cause, is unknown.
Benign Breast Disease
Certain benign (not cancer) breast problems can cause increased risk of breast cancer. Fibrocystic breast changes are very common. Fibrocystic disease temporary changes in the breasts that coincide with the menstrual cycle especially right before the menstrual period. Fibrocystic breasts are lumpy with some thickened tissue and are frequently associated with breast discomfort. This condition does not lead to breast cancer.
However, certain other types of benign breast changes, such as those diagnosed on biopsy as proliferative or hyperplastic, do predispose women to the later development of breast cancer. Moderate or severe hyperplasia alone may increase breast cancer risk by 1.5- to 4-fold; however, when associated with atypia, the risk may causes to be increased as much as 5-fold. If a woman also has a family history of breast cancer in first-degree relatives, her risk may be increased 11-fold.
Family History Of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose close blood relatives have this disease. The relatives can be from either the mother's or father's side of the family. However, approximately 85% of women with breast cancer do NOT report a history of breast cancer within their families. The remaining 15%, about one-third appear to have a genetic abnormality. Nevertheless, having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer about doubles a woman's risk. The risk can increased 4- to 5 times if the relative's cancer was found before menopause.
Alcohol Use
Drinking alcohol regularly -- more than a couple of drinks a day -- may be the cause and promote the cancer. By contrast, breast cancer risk is nearly doubled in women who have more than three drinks daily. Those who have 2 to 5 drinks daily have about 1½ times the risk of women who drink no alcohol. The American Cancer Society suggests limiting the amount you drink to one drink a day. There is a recognized relationship between the consumption of more than two drinks a day and an increased level of estrogen in the blood that could be the breast cancer causes.
Being Overweight
Being overweight is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. Women whose diets are high in fat are more likely to get the disease. The link between diet and breast cancer causes are debated as studies of fat in the diet as it relates to breast cancer risk have often given conflicting results. Researchers suspect that if a woman lowers her daily calories from fat -- to less than 20%-30% -- her diet may help protect her from developing breast cancer. Nonetheless, exercise appears to be beneficial, no matter what a woman's body size.
Who Discovered Breast Cancer?
Based on historical records in the Edwin Smith papyrus, a copy of a trauma surgery textbook from Ancient. It details a variety of cases of breast cancer between the years 3000 and 2500 B.C. There was no definite cure for such disease during that time, tumors of the breast were removed from women in Egypt through cauterization.
Breast cancer was clinically recognized and described by the era of Hippocrates in the 4 th century B.C. It would be hundreds of years before the medical community developed the knowledge and the technology to learn more about how breast cancer works. In the 1600s and 1700s work was done by a variety of doctors who learned that cancer of the breast was linked with the lymph nodes in the armpit.
In the late 1800s the technique of a mastectomy (the removal of the infected breast and underlying tissue) became a treatment for breast cancer. Radical mastectomies (the removal of both breasts and underlying tissue) were a common procedure until the 1970s, when understanding of cancer moved forward again. In the nineteenth century the medical community and the scientists began to study cancer systematically and intensively.
Basic procedures needed to help identify breast cancer, include clinical breast exam, x-ray mammography and genetic testing. If these are not enough, other tests may be performed such as magnetic resonance imaging. Even at home, it is possible to perform self-examination breast cancer awareness to help determine the different symptoms of this serious health problem.
Additional Facts
Breast cancer was clinically recognized and described by the era of Hippocrates in the 4 th century B.C. It would be hundreds of years before the medical community developed the knowledge and the technology to learn more about how breast cancer works. In the 1600s and 1700s work was done by a variety of doctors who learned that cancer of the breast was linked with the lymph nodes in the armpit.
In the late 1800s the technique of a mastectomy (the removal of the infected breast and underlying tissue) became a treatment for breast cancer. Radical mastectomies (the removal of both breasts and underlying tissue) were a common procedure until the 1970s, when understanding of cancer moved forward again. In the nineteenth century the medical community and the scientists began to study cancer systematically and intensively.
Basic procedures needed to help identify breast cancer, include clinical breast exam, x-ray mammography and genetic testing. If these are not enough, other tests may be performed such as magnetic resonance imaging. Even at home, it is possible to perform self-examination breast cancer awareness to help determine the different symptoms of this serious health problem.
What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor, usually a carcinoma, that starts in the cells of the breast in both women and men. A malignant tumor is a kind of cancer cells that develops in breast cells, characterized by the growth of malignant cells in the mammary glands which may invade surrounding tissues.
This tumor cells in the breast divide and multiply in an uncontrolled fashion, which could spread or metastasize to other areas of the body through the bloodstream and lymphatic system (lymph nodes).
Incidence increases with age and risk factors include a family history of breast cancer, late menopause, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Initial symptoms may include a small painless lump, thick or dimpled skin, or nipple retraction.
It is one of the most common malignancies in women in the US. Breast cancer is also the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer statistically it is the fifth most common cause of cancer death.
There are several types of breast cancer, however, some of them are quite rare. In some cases a single breast tumor can have a combination of these types or have a mixture of invasive and in situ cancer.
Ductal carcinoma in situ also known as intraductal carcinoma. The most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. The cancer cells are contain inside the ducts and have not spread through the surrounding breast tissue.
Lobular carcinoma in situ also called lobular neoplasia. It is sometimes classified as a non-invasive breast cancer. It begins in the milk-producing glands but does not grow through the wall of the lobules.
Invasive (or infiltrating) ductal carcinoma
Starts within a milk passage (duct) of the breast, breaks through the duct, and grows into the fatty tissue of the breast. It may be even spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system and bloodstream. About 80% invasive breast cancers are infiltrating ductal carcinomas.
Invasive (or infiltrating) lobular carcinoma
Also starts in the milk-producing glands (lobules). It can also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. About 1% invasive breast cancers is an Invasive (or infiltrating) lobular carcinoma. Invasive lobular carcinoma may be harder to detect by a mammogram than invasive ductal carcinoma.
Inflammatory breast cancer, an uncommon type of invasive breast cancer. About 1 to 3 out of 10 of all breast cancers. There is no single lump or tumor. Instead, it will makes the skin of the breast look red and feel warm. Which also gives the breast skin a thick, pitted appearance that looks similar like an orange peel.
Triple-negative breast cancer breast cancers (usually invasive ductal carcinomas) whose cells lack estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors, and do not have an excess of the HER2 protein on their surfaces. It grow and spread more quickly than most other types of breast cancer. Because the tumor cells lack these certain receptors.
Medullary carcinoma, a special type of infiltrating breast cancer. It has a rather well-defined boundary between tumor tissue and normal tissue. Its special features include the large size of the cancer cells and the presence of immune system cells at the edges of the tumor. Medullary carcinoma accounts for about 3% to 5% of breast cancers.
Mixed tumors contain a variety of cell types, such as invasive ductal cancer combined with invasive lobular breast cancer.
Metaplastic carcinoma also known as carcinoma with metaplasia. It is a very rare type of invasive ductal cancer. These tumors cells that are normally not found in the breast, such as cells that look like skin cells (squamous cells) or cells that make bone.
Paget disease of the nipple This type of breast cancer starts in the breast ducts and spreads to the skin of the nipple and then to the areola, the dark circle around the nipple. Accounting to only about 1% of all cases of breast cancer. The skin of the nipple and areola often appears crusted, scaly, and red, with areas of bleeding or oozing. The woman may notice burning or itching.
Mucinous carcinoma known as colloid carcinoma, a rare type of invasive breast cancer is formed by mucus-producing cancer cells.
Tubular carcinoma is another special type of invasive ductal breast carcinoma. They are called tubular because of the way the cells are arranged when seen under the microscope. Tubular carcinomas account for about 2% of all breast cancers.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma (adenocystic carcinoma). These cancers have both glandular (adenoid) and cylinder-like (cystic) features when seen under the microscope. They make up less than 1% of breast cancers.
Papillary carcinoma these cancers tend to be arranged in small, finger-like projections when viewed under the microscope. These tumors can be separated into non-invasive and invasive types. Make up no more than 1% or 2% of all breast cancers.
Phyllodes tumor very rare breast tumor develops in the stroma (connective tissue) of the breast, in contrast to carcinomas, which develop in the ducts or lobules. Other names for these tumors include phylloides tumor and cystosarcoma phyllodes.
Angiosarcoma a form of cancer that starts from cells that line blood vessels or lymph vessels. It rarely occurs in the breasts. When it does, it usually develops as a complication of previous radiation treatments. This is an extremely rare complication of breast radiation therapy that can develop about 5 to 10 years after radiation.
This tumor cells in the breast divide and multiply in an uncontrolled fashion, which could spread or metastasize to other areas of the body through the bloodstream and lymphatic system (lymph nodes).
Incidence increases with age and risk factors include a family history of breast cancer, late menopause, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Initial symptoms may include a small painless lump, thick or dimpled skin, or nipple retraction.
It is one of the most common malignancies in women in the US. Breast cancer is also the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer statistically it is the fifth most common cause of cancer death.
Types of Breast Cancers
There are several types of breast cancer, however, some of them are quite rare. In some cases a single breast tumor can have a combination of these types or have a mixture of invasive and in situ cancer.
Ductal carcinoma in situ also known as intraductal carcinoma. The most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. The cancer cells are contain inside the ducts and have not spread through the surrounding breast tissue.
Lobular carcinoma in situ also called lobular neoplasia. It is sometimes classified as a non-invasive breast cancer. It begins in the milk-producing glands but does not grow through the wall of the lobules.
Invasive (or infiltrating) ductal carcinoma
Starts within a milk passage (duct) of the breast, breaks through the duct, and grows into the fatty tissue of the breast. It may be even spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system and bloodstream. About 80% invasive breast cancers are infiltrating ductal carcinomas.
Invasive (or infiltrating) lobular carcinoma
Also starts in the milk-producing glands (lobules). It can also spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. About 1% invasive breast cancers is an Invasive (or infiltrating) lobular carcinoma. Invasive lobular carcinoma may be harder to detect by a mammogram than invasive ductal carcinoma.
Less common types of breast cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer, an uncommon type of invasive breast cancer. About 1 to 3 out of 10 of all breast cancers. There is no single lump or tumor. Instead, it will makes the skin of the breast look red and feel warm. Which also gives the breast skin a thick, pitted appearance that looks similar like an orange peel.
Triple-negative breast cancer breast cancers (usually invasive ductal carcinomas) whose cells lack estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors, and do not have an excess of the HER2 protein on their surfaces. It grow and spread more quickly than most other types of breast cancer. Because the tumor cells lack these certain receptors.
Medullary carcinoma, a special type of infiltrating breast cancer. It has a rather well-defined boundary between tumor tissue and normal tissue. Its special features include the large size of the cancer cells and the presence of immune system cells at the edges of the tumor. Medullary carcinoma accounts for about 3% to 5% of breast cancers.
Mixed tumors contain a variety of cell types, such as invasive ductal cancer combined with invasive lobular breast cancer.
Metaplastic carcinoma also known as carcinoma with metaplasia. It is a very rare type of invasive ductal cancer. These tumors cells that are normally not found in the breast, such as cells that look like skin cells (squamous cells) or cells that make bone.
Paget disease of the nipple This type of breast cancer starts in the breast ducts and spreads to the skin of the nipple and then to the areola, the dark circle around the nipple. Accounting to only about 1% of all cases of breast cancer. The skin of the nipple and areola often appears crusted, scaly, and red, with areas of bleeding or oozing. The woman may notice burning or itching.
Mucinous carcinoma known as colloid carcinoma, a rare type of invasive breast cancer is formed by mucus-producing cancer cells.
Tubular carcinoma is another special type of invasive ductal breast carcinoma. They are called tubular because of the way the cells are arranged when seen under the microscope. Tubular carcinomas account for about 2% of all breast cancers.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma (adenocystic carcinoma). These cancers have both glandular (adenoid) and cylinder-like (cystic) features when seen under the microscope. They make up less than 1% of breast cancers.
Papillary carcinoma these cancers tend to be arranged in small, finger-like projections when viewed under the microscope. These tumors can be separated into non-invasive and invasive types. Make up no more than 1% or 2% of all breast cancers.
Phyllodes tumor very rare breast tumor develops in the stroma (connective tissue) of the breast, in contrast to carcinomas, which develop in the ducts or lobules. Other names for these tumors include phylloides tumor and cystosarcoma phyllodes.
Angiosarcoma a form of cancer that starts from cells that line blood vessels or lymph vessels. It rarely occurs in the breasts. When it does, it usually develops as a complication of previous radiation treatments. This is an extremely rare complication of breast radiation therapy that can develop about 5 to 10 years after radiation.
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Learn What Breast Cancer is and How to Deal with It.