Breast cancer is the second most common cancer affecting American women, after skin cancer. Each year in the United States, over 300,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. One out of every 8 American women will develop some form of breast cancer during her lifetime.
While breast cancer can also affect men, this is very rare.
Partnering with a doctor you trust offers the best chances of finding breast cancer earlier, beginning appropriate treatment sooner, and healing. Though breast cancer is common among women, if diagnosed early, it has an over 99 percent survival rate.
Our expert oncologists at Dignity Health are here to provide personalized care for breast cancer. Find a Doctor near you.
Mammogram screening finds many breast cancers before symptoms develop. When symptoms are present, the most commonly reported one is a lump or mass in the breast tissue.
Others include:
Cancers are caused by damage to the DNA of your cells.
Many things can increase the likelihood of this damage, but experts don’t yet fully understand what causes breast cancer in some people and not others.
Research is ongoing, and scientists continue to make important discoveries, including new therapies and screening tools.
Having breast cancer means you have malignant cells in your breast tissue. Breast cancer can be classified based on the type of malignant cells and where they are located.
There are many different types of breast cancer, including:
In general, the more slowly the malignant cells grow, and the more localized they are, the easier the cancer will be to treat.
The leading risk factor for breast cancer is being a woman. Other risk factors include:
Breast cancer can’t always be avoided. However, you can take steps both to reduce your risk and to make sure that if you do develop it, you are diagnosed as soon as possible.
Many lifestyle choices can lower your risk of developing breast cancer, including:
In addition to these steps, regular self-examination and medical screenings to check for breast cancer are some of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk.
The information contained in this article is meant for educational purposes only and should not replace advice from your healthcare provider.