Breast Cancer Information

Breast cancer awareness is about educating women on the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. When breast cancer is detected in the early stages - thru breast self-exams, clinical exams and mammograms - it improves a woman's chances of being cured. Every woman should become familiar with her normal breast area - the skin, underlying tissue, and nipple area - so that she can notice any changes and schedule an appointment with a doctor for an exam.

Screening for breast cancer - looking for evidence of the disease when there are no outward symptoms - can save your life. When breast cancer is detected at an early stage, there are more treatment options available and the chances are better for a long-term recovery.

The screening methods for breast cancer include breast self-exams, clinical exams by a nurse or doctor, and mammograms. The best approach is to rely on all three screening methods, as any method on it's own has the chance of missing the tumor. Generally, it is recommended to begin breast self-exams during your twenties and to have a clinical breast exam every three years during your twenties and thirties. Once you get to your forties, it's time to schedule annual clinical exams and start getting annual mammograms.

Today's advice to women centers on breast awareness - to become familiar with the usual look and feel of your breasts and the underlying tissue. Practicing regular breast self-exams and becoming familiar with your breasts will help you notice if anything out of the ordinary shows up. Pay attention to any changes you notice, such as development of a lump, a change in the size or shape, any irregular dimpling, redness or warmth of the skin, or any bleeding or crusting from the nipples. The best time for a women to do her own breast exam is about one week after her period starts. If you notice a lump that is not familiar and have not yet gone thru menopause, wait one more menstrual cycle and see if the lump is still there. If it is, make an appointment with your doctor for a clinical exam. Breast awareness together with exams and mammograms may just save your life.

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. Tumors can be assigned a grade from 1 to 3. A non-aggressive cancer that is not likely to cause harm is a grade 1 cancer. A grade 3 breast cancer is an aggressive cancer and more serious, although with treatment it can sometimes be controlled.

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Consumer Guide to Breast Cancer