Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). Women in the United States get breast cancer more than any other type of cancer except for skin cancer.  It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths (after lung cancer) among American women.  Although breast cancer also occurs in men, it is rare.

Research has shown that a number of factors may increase the risk of developing breast cancer, including family history, age, reproductive history, diet, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, genetics, and obesity. While risk factors such as family history cannot be avoided, many can. By making healthy lifestyle choices and exercising regularly, individuals can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

Worth Noting: Most women who have known risk factors do not get breast cancer. At the same time, most women with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease. In fact, except for growing older, most women with breast cancer have no clear risk factors.

The importance of testing and screening
There are two different types of testing for breast. Screening tests (such as a mammogram) look for signs of disease in women without symptoms and should be part of every healthy woman's routine. Diagnostic tests (such as [MRI, ultrasound, surgical biopsies, blood tests, or bone scans) are used when breast cancer is suspected or has been diagnosed

Regarding screening, mammograms, regular self-exams, and clinical breast exams (exams conducted by a health professional) are vital because they can help doctors diagnose cancer before it has a chance to spread. When breast cancer is detected early, treatment is more effective, giving hope to patients and helping save lives.

Breast cancer symptoms:

• A change in how the breast or nipple feels
  You may experience nipple tenderness or notice a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.
• A change in how the breast or nipple looks
  This could mean a change in the size or shape of the breast or a nipple that is turned slightly inward. In addition, the skin of the breast, areola or nipple may appear scaly, red or swollen or may have ridges or pitting that resembles the skin of an orange.
• Nipple discharge

Breast cancer treatment
Treatment for breast cancer depends upon many factors, including the type of cancer and the extent to which it has spread. Treatment options for breast cancer may involve a number of different types of surgery (breast-preserving surgery or lumpectomy, breast removal or mastectomy and less invasive procedures that can be used with early-stage cancers; radiation therapy—also called radiotherapy—which uses highly targeted beams of radiation to destroy cancer cells and can be directed from outside or inside the body; chemotherapy which uses cancer-fighting drugs; hormonal therapy which blocks naturally occurring hormones that can enhance some tumor cells and other target therapies that can go after specific characteristics of cancer cells.

The good news is that with continuing advances in screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the death rate for breast cancer has declined by about 20% over the past decade, and research is poised to develop even more effective screening and treatment programs.

Three facts about breast cancer:

1. In the early stages, breast cancer does not generally cause pain. Even so, a woman should see her health care provider about breast pain or any other symptom that does not go away.

2. Although breast cancer is far more common in women it does occur in men where it accounts for about 1% of all male cancer deaths.

3. Generally, breast cancer is a much more aggressive disease in younger women.

For more information about breast cancer, visit riversideonline.com’s MayoClinic.com Health Library.