Brest Cancer 1

Breast cancer overview
Cancer occurs when changes called mutations take place in genes that regulate cell
growth. The mutations let the cells divide and multiply in an uncontrolled way.
Breast cancer is cancer that develops in breast cells. Typically, the cancer forms in either
the lobules or the ducts of the breast. Lobules are the glands that produce milk, and
ducts are the pathways that bring the milk from the glands to the nipple. Cancer can also
occur in the fatty tissue or the fibrous connective tissue within your breast.
The uncontrolled cancer cells often invade other healthy breast tissue and can travel to
the lymph nodes under the arms. The lymph nodes are a primary pathway that help the
cancer cells move to other parts of the body. See pictures and learn more about the
structure of the breast.
Breast cancer symptoms

In its early stages, breast cancer may not cause any symptoms. In many cases, a tumor
may be too small to be felt, but an abnormality can still be seen on a mammogram. If a
tumor can be felt, the first sign is usually a new lump in the breast that was not there
before. However, not all lumps are cancer.
Each type of breast cancer can cause a variety of symptoms. Many of these symptoms
are similar, but some can be different. Symptoms for the most common breast cancers
include:
 a breast lump or tissue thickening that feels different than surrounding tissue and
has developed recently
 breast pain
 red, pitted skin over your entire breast
 swelling in all or part of your breast
 a nipple discharge other than breast milk
 bloody discharge from your nipple
 peeling, scaling, or flaking of skin on your nipple or breast
 a sudden, unexplained change in the shape or size of your breast
 inverted nipple
 changes to the appearance of the skin on your breasts
 a lump or swelling under your arm
If you have any of these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have breast cancer.
For instance, pain in your breast or a breast lump can be caused by a benign cyst. Still, if
you find a lump in your breast or have other symptoms, you should see your doctor for
further examination and testing. Learn more about possible symptoms of breast cancer.
Types of breast cancer

There are several types of breast cancer, and they are broken into two main categories:
“invasive” and “noninvasive,” or in situ. While invasive cancer has spread from the breast
ducts or glands to other parts of the breast, noninvasive cancer has not spread from the
original tissue.
These two categories are used to describe the most common types of breast cancer,
which include:
 Ductal carcinoma in situ. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a noninvasive

condition. With DCIS, the cancer cells are confined to the ducts in your breast
and haven’t invaded the surrounding breast tissue.
 Lobular carcinoma in situ. Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is cancer that
grows in the milk-producing glands of your breast. Like DCIS, the cancer cells
haven’t invaded the surrounding tissue.
 Invasive ductal carcinoma. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most
common type of breast cancer. This type of breast cancer begins in your breast’s
milk ducts and then invades nearby tissue in the breast. Once the breast cancer
has spread to the tissue outside your milk ducts, it can begin to spread to other
nearby organs and tissue.
 Invasive lobular carcinoma. Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) first develops in
your breast’s lobules and has invaded nearby tissue.
Other, less common types of breast cancer include:
 Paget disease of the nipple. This type of breast cancer begins in the ducts of
the nipple, but as it grows, it begins to affect the skin and areola of the nipple.
 Phyllodes tumor. This very rare type of breast cancer grows in the connective
tissue of the breast. Most of these tumors are benign, but some are cancerous.
 Angiosarcoma. This is cancer that grows on the blood vessels or lymph vessels
in the breast.
The type of cancer you have determines your treatment options, as well as your likely
long-term outcome. Learn more about types of breast cancer.

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Breast cancer overview

Breast cancer symptoms

Types of breast cancer

 Ductal carcinoma in situ. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a noninvasive

Other, less common types of breast cancer include:

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