Breast cancer occurs when malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the tissues of the breast and is caused by mutations and abnormal growth patters in the genes of breast cells.

 

Breasts cancer occurs in 99% of women and can also occur in 1% of men, also known as invasive breast cancer. Besides gender being presenting a great risk for women, other factors include age. The chances of a woman above the age of thirty of contracting breast cancer within the next 10 years are 1:280. The exact causes are unknown since there are many factors involved in the development of the disease such as family history containing any genetic causes that effect how the genes are reproduced and genetically transferred in families. Hormonal disturbances also play a role in the development of breast carcinoma (cancer) as well as lifestyle and environmental influences or dietary causes such as low fat diets. Another factor that may play a role in the development of breast cancer is benign breast disease, also known as fibrocystic changes which is sometimes characterized by thickened or lumpy tissue of the breast, can be easily diagnosed by a invasive biopsy which may warn women of any future development.

 

Breast cancer may be hard to diagnose at first since it is usually not painful and most breasts cancers are discovered before any symptoms occur by performing simple routine tests such a mammography, ultrasound or MRI of the breasts. If there are any suspicions for any carcinogenic material, a small tissue of the infected area may be taken for biopsy and later tested. Usually it is possible to tell from a routine mammogram if there are any peculiar changes or lumps in the tissues. There are various types of breast cancers: adenocarcinoma, ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS), medullary carcinoma, infiltrating lobular carcinoma (ILC), Paget’s disease, mucinous carcinoma (colloid), inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), phyllodes tumor, tubular carcinoma and infiltrating (or invasive) ductal carcinoma (IDC) which account for more than 70% of breasts cancers.

 

There are different kinds of therapies for different kinds of stages of breasts cancers. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or surgery are the possible treatments available. Your doctor will know which treatment (or a combination of treatments) is best suited for the type and stage of the breast cancer.