Anatomy Picture of the Breast And How It Works By MedicineNet.com

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Breast

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Families with Breast Cancer

Medical Author: Carolyn Janet Crandall, MD, FACP
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Ms. G. is a 40-year-old woman with two small children. Like most women, she is concerned about her chances of developing breast cancer. She asks her doctor about her risks. Although breast cancer is a worry for most women, Ms. G. is especially worried because of a family history of breast cancer. Her mother and sister had breast cancers that were diagnosed at young ages.

A woman with a family history of breast cancer has a lot of concerns. Among other things, she is thinking of her job, children, and husband, as well as how her medical insurance and health team will be able to serve her needs in the future should a crisis arise.

What are the facts about families that have multiple members with breast cancer?

Inherited breast cancer disorders account for a small minority of breast cancers overall. Genes are the "messages" in each cell of the body that determine the ultimate design of our bodies.

Read about more families with breast cancer »

Top Breast Searched Terms

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What is the breast?

The breast generally refers to the front of the chest and medically specifically to the mammary gland.

(The word "mammary" comes from "mamma," the Greek and Latin word for the breast, which derives from the cry "mama" uttered by infants and young children, sometimes meaning "I want to feed at the breast.")

How is the mammary gland designed?

The mammary gland is a milk-producing structure that is composed largely of fat cells (cells capable of storing fat). The fat deposits are laid down in the breast under the influence of the female hormone estrogen. Just as the surge of estrogens at adolescence encourages this process, androgens, such as testosterone, discourage it.

Within the mammary gland there is a complex network of branching ducts (tubes or channels). These ducts exit from sac-like structures called lobules.

The lobules in the breast are the glands that can produce milk in females when they receive the appropriate hormonal stimulation.

The breast ducts transport milk from the lobules out to the nipple. The ducts exit from the breast at the nipple.

Picture of the anatomy of the breast

How are human breasts different from those of other primates?

Human breasts function somewhat differently than those of other primates. In other primates, the breasts grow only when the female is producing milk (lactating). When the non-human primate female has weaned her young, her breasts flatten back down. In humans, the breasts develop at adolescence usually well before any pregnancy has occurred and the breasts stay enlarged throughout the remainder of life.