Breast cancer

[Britney]

Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast become abnormal and divide uncontrollably. Breast cancer usually starts in the glands that produce milk (lobules) or the tubes (ducts) that carry milk from the glands to the nipple.

Among women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer deaths.
Typically, the first symptom is a painless lump, usually noticed by the woman.
Breast cancer screening recommendations vary and include periodic mammography, breast examination by a doctor, and breast self-examination.
If a solid lump is detected, doctors use a hollow needle to remove a sample of tissue or make an incision and remove part or all of the lump and then examine the tissue under a microscope (biopsy).
Breast cancer almost always requires surgery, sometimes with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, other drugs, or a combination.
Outcome is hard to predict and depends partly on the characteristics and spread of the cancer.

(See also Overview of Breast Disorders.)
Breast disorders may be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Most are noncancerous and not life threatening. Often, they do not require treatment. In contrast, breast cancer can mean loss of a breast or of life. Thus, for many women, breast cancer is their worst fear. However, potential problems can often be detected early when women regularly examine their breasts themselves, are examined regularly by their doctor, and have mammograms as recommended. Early detection of breast cancer can be essential to successful treatment.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and, of cancers, is the most common cause of death among Hispanic women and the second most common cause of death in women of other races (after lung cancer). Experts estimate that in 2019 in the United States, the following is expected:

Invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in about 268,600 women.
Noninvasive (in situ) breast cancer will be diagnosed in almost 62,930 women.
Almost 41,760 women will die of breast cancer.

Breast cancers in men account for about 1% of all breast cancers.
Many women fear breast cancer, partly because it is common. However, some of the fear about breast cancer is based on misunderstanding. For example, the statement, “One of every eight women will get breast cancer,” is misleading. That figure is an estimate based on women from birth to age 95. It means that theoretically, one of eight women who live to age 95 or older will develop breast cancer. However, a 40-year-old woman has only about a 1 in 70 chance of developing it during the next decade. But as she ages, her risk increases.