breast cancer

Definition of breast cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.

Breast cancer is cancer arising in breast tissue. Cancer is simply a group of abnormal cells that have abnormal growth patterns.

● Although breast cancer is primarily a disease of women, about 1% of breast cancers occur in men.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and is the second leading cause of death by cancer in women, following only lung cancer

● In 2005, the American Cancer Society estimated that 212,930 new cases of breast cancer would be diagnosed in the United States.

● The incidence of breast cancer has been gradually increasing, averaging a 0.5% increase per year from 1987-2001. Death rates, on the other hand, have been gradually declining.

The breasts are made of fat, glands, and connective (fibrous) tissue. The breast has several lobes, which are divided into lobules and end in the milk glands. Tiny ducts run from the many tiny glands, connect together, and end in the nipple.

● These ducts are where 80% of breast cancers occur. This condition is called infiltrating ductal cancer.

● Cancer developing in the lobules is termed infiltrating lobular cancer. About 10-15% of breast cancers are of this type.

● Other types of breast cancer include inflammatory breast cancer and cancer involving the nipple, which is termed Paget's disease.

EARLY DETECTION: DO YOU KNOW THE FACTS?

This year in America, more than 211,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 will die. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year. If detected early, the five-year survival rate exceeds 95%. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.