After skin cancer, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately one out of every eight women develops breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.
Identification
Breast cancer occurs when cells within breast tissue mutate and begin to multiply uncontrollably. This leads to the development of tumors, which have the potential to spread through other parts of the body through the lymph nodes.
Causes
Approximately 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are caused by genetic factors, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other risk factors for breast cancer include obesity, drinking alcohol, using hormone replacement therapy medications after menopause, developing menstrual periods before the age of 12 and having your first child after the age of 35.
Symptoms
Often, breast cancer causes no symptoms and is not diagnosed until a lump is felt during a breast self-examination or is spotted on a routine mammogram. Some women do experience symptoms of breast cancer, however, including bloody discharge from the nipple, peeling of the skin around the nipple, changes in breast shape or size, nipple inversion, breast redness or a dimpling of the skin that resembles that of an orange peel.
Types
Breast cancer is staged from 0 to 4, according to the size of the tumor, whether or not lymph nodes are affected by the cancerous cells and if the cancer has spread to other organs. The stage shows the progression or how far the cancer has developed at the time of diagnosis.
Treatment
Often, breast cancer requires either a surgical lumpectomy to remove the tumor or a mastectomy surgery to remove the entire breast. Other treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and the use of prescription medications that control the spread and growth of cancer cells.
Considerations
Although much more common in women, it is also possible for men to develop breast cancer.
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