Breast Cancer Prevention

The exact causes of breast cancer are not know, but certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop the disease. Some of them cannot be avoided (age and heredity), but some of them can be avoided. Prevention involves taking steps to help reduce your risk of breast cancer.

More breast cancer prevention

Breast Cancer Information

Cancer is a disease that causes cells in the body to grow out of control. When cancer cells begin to grow in the tissues of the breast, it is known as breast cancer. Even if it spreads to other parts of the body, the original site of the cancer growth determines the cancer type.

Types of Breast Cancer

As breasts often feel lumpy, be aware that not all lumps are cancerous. A non-cancerous lump is called a benign tumor, while a cancerous lump is known as a malignant tumor. Cancer cells can spread in three ways - by growing and extending into the surrounding tissues, traveling thru the bloodstream, or moving thru the lymphatic system to other lymph nodes.

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that forms in the ducts (carry milk to nipple) or lobules (produce milk) of the breast. Breast cancer that stays within the breast ducts and lobules is called pre-invasive breast cancer. Two types of pre-invasive breast cancer are ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). "In situ" means non-invasive.

If the cancer cells have moved outside of the breast ducts and lobules but are still within the breast and armpit area, it is called early breast cancer. If the cancer has spread to areas surrounding the breast (such as the skin, muscles or bones of the chest), but not to other parts of the body, it is called locally advanced breast cancer.

Stages of Breast Cancer

It is usually possible to determine how aggressive a cancer is by examining it under a microscope. Aggressive describes how far and how fast the cancer is likely to spread thru out the body from the original site. Cancer can be assigned a grade from 1 to 4. Stage 1 is an early stage of cancer that has grown beyond the original site but has not spread beyond the breast. A grade 3 breast cancer is a more advanced cancer that has spread to areas surrounding the breast but not to other parts of the body. The cancer is referred to as stage 4 if it has spread to other parts of the body.