A breast cancer follow-up self-exam is a test that may help a woman detect a recurrence of the disease. A woman should perform a monthly self-exam of both breasts as well as attend scheduled follow-up appointments to detect any breast cancer recurrence early. Lymph node involvement, tumor size, hormone receptor status, histologic grade, nuclear grade, and oncogene expression help determine the likelihood of a recurrence. Read more: Breast Cancer Follow-Up Self-Exam Article
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Signs of Cancer in Women: Symptoms You Can't Ignore
Colon and stomach cancer symptoms can surprise women but can be treated if detected early. Learn about breast cancer signs and...
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Breast Cancer Awareness: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Learn about breast cancer causes, symptoms, tests, recovery, and prevention. Discover the types of treatments such as surgery and...
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Breast Cancer Quiz: Symptoms & Signs
This Breast Cancer Quiz features signs, symptoms, facts, causes, common forms, terms, risk factors, statistics, and more. ...
QUESTION
A lump in the breast is almost always cancer. See AnswerRelated Disease Conditions
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Breast Cancer in Men
Second Source WebMD Medical Reference
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Breast Lumps (in Women)
Breast lumps in women can have a variety of causes such as breast inflammation, infection, injuries, cancer, and non-cancerous growths. Breast lumps in women are diagnosed with physical exam, mammogram, ultrasound, MRI, and biopsy. Treatment of breast lumps in women depend on the cause.
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How Common Is Lymphovascular Invasion in Breast Cancer?
About 30% of breast cancers metastasize to nearby blood vessels and lymph nodes, a process called lymphovascular invasion.
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Breast Anatomy
The breast, or mammary gland is made up of lobules, milk producing glands, and a system of ducts to transport milk. Both males and females have breasts. Abnormal enlargement of breasts in men is referred to as gynecomastia. In women, during pregnancy the breasts grow larger and produce milk. Common medical conditions that affect the breasts include breast cancer, breast lumps, fibrocystic changes and cysts, mastitis, and benign tumors (fibroadenomas).
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Male Breast Cancer
Male breast cancer accounts for 1% of all breast cancers, and most cases are found in men between the ages of 60 and 70. A man's risk of developing breast cancer is one in 1,000. Signs and symptoms include a firm mass located below the nipple and skin changes around the nipple, including puckering, redness or scaling, retraction and ulceration of the nipple. Treatment depends upon staging and the health of the patient.
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Can HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Be Cured?
HER2-positive breast cancer is associated with cancer cells that have extra copies of the HER2 gene and produce extra HER2 receptor proteins. With recent advances in medicine, it is considered that HER2-positive breast cancer is curable.
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Can Fibroadenomas Turn Into Breast Cancer?
A fibroadenoma is the most common type of benign, non-cancerous lump of the breast. Although it is rare, complex fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumors have a chance to develop into malignant breast cancer.
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Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is an invasive tumor that develops in the mammary gland. Breast cancer is detected via mammograms, breast self-examination (BSE), biopsy, and specialized testing on breast cancer tissue. Treatment of breast cancer may involve surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Breast cancer risk may be lowered by managing controllable risk factors. What you should know about breast cancer Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. One in every eight women in the United States develops breast cancer. There are many types of breast cancer that differ in their capability of spreading (metastasize) to other body tissues. The causes of breast cancer are unknown, although medical professionals have identified a number of risk factors. There are 11 common types of breast cancer and 4 uncommon types of breast cancer. Breast cancer early signs and symptoms include a lump in the breast or armpit, bloody nipple discharge, inverted nipple, orange-peel texture or dimpling of the breast's skin (peau d'orange), breast pain or sore nipple, swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpit, and a change in the size or shape of the breast or nipple. Breast cancer can also be symptom free, which makes following national screening recommendations an important practice. Breast cancer is diagnosed during a physical exam, by a self-exam of the breasts, mammography, ultrasound testing, and biopsy. Treatment of breast cancer depends on the type of cancer and its stage (0-IV) and may involve surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
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Is Adenocarcinoma an Aggressive Cancer?
Adenocarcinoma happens when cells in the glands that line organs grow out of control. They may spread to other places and harm healthy organs. Adenocarcinoma in different organs manifests differently, so some are more aggressive than others.
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Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer is an accelerated form of breast cancer that is not usually detected by mammogram or ultrasound. Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain in the breast, skin change in the breast area, bruise on the breast,sudden swelling of the breast, nipple retraction or discharge, and swelling of the lymph nodes.
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What Is the Difference Between a Radical Mastectomy and Modified Radical Mastectomy?
In a radical mastectomy, the entire breast tissue along with the nipple, covering skin, lymph nodes (filter organs for harmful substances) in the armpit and chest wall muscle under the breast is removed. It is known as a standard treatment for breast cancer. In a modified radical mastectomy (MRM), the entire breast is removed, including the skin, areola (surrounding the nipple), nipple and most armpit lymph nodes. The underlying chest wall muscles (the pecs) will be left intact. Additionally, the skin covering the chest wall may or may not be removed.
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What Is Usually the First Sign of Breast Cancer?
A lump in the breast or in the armpits is often the first sign of breast cancer. This may be felt while in the shower. There may or may not be changes in the structure of the breast. Other early signs include changes in breast skin, breast pain and others.
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Paget Disease of the Breast (Paget's Disease of the Nipple)
Paget's disease is a rare form of cancer that forms in or around the nipple and frequently coexists with breast cancer. The exact cause of Paget's disease is unknown. Symptoms and signs include redness, scaling, and flaking of the nipple skin. A biopsy and imaging studies are needed to diagnose the disease. Treatment may include surgery, radiation, and adjuvant therapy.
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Breast Cancer Prevention
Lifestyle changes, a healthy antioxidant-rich diet, exercise, and weight reduction can help reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. It's important to be aware of how risk factors such as family history, lifestyle factors, breast conditions, radiation therapy, and hormonal factors may influence your chances of developing breast cancer. Mammography and breast self-examinations are crucial steps in breast cancer prevention.
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Breast Cancer and Lymphedema
Lymphedema is a common chronic, debilitating condition in which excess fluid called lymph collects in tissues and causes swelling in them. It is common after a mastectomy, lumpectomy or breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy.
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What Are The Five Warning Signs Of Breast Cancer?
The majority of breast cancer patients first seek diagnosis because of a lump on the breast. This is one of the five warning signs of breast cancer. Others include changes in the nipple, changes in the breast skin and other symptoms.
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What Are the Four Types of Breast Cancer?
The four most common types of breast cancer are ductal carcinoma in situ, lobular carcinoma in situ, invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma. The designations are based on the locations of the tumors, whether they have spread and where they have spread to.
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Breast Cancer Clinical Trials
Breast cancer clinical trials are research programs designed to evaluate new medical treatments, drugs, or devices for the treatment of breast cancer. Clinical trials are designed to test the safety and efficacy of new treatments as well as assess potential side effects. Clinical trials also compare new treatment to existing treatments to determine if it's any better. There are many important questions to ask your doctor before taking part in a breast cancer clinical trial.
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Breast Cancer in Young Women
About 5% of cases of breast cancer occur in women under the age of 40 years old. Some risk factors for breast cancer in young women include a personal history of breast cancer or breast disease, family history of breast cancer, prior radiation therapy, and the presence of BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutations. Breast self-exams, clinical breast exams, and screening mammograms may help detect breast cancer. Treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy.
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Breast Cancer and Coping With Stress
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is stressful. Learning relaxation techniques, exercising, eating well, getting adequate sleep, receiving psychotherapy, and maintaining a positive attitude can help you cope. Creating documents, such as an advance directive, living will, and durable power of attorney will outline your wishes in the event that you are no longer able to make decisions regarding your care.
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Genetic Testing: Families With Breast Cancer
Breast cancer can be a killer and the decision to get tested to see if a patient is prone to the disease should be discussed with a doctor -- particularly if the woman has a history of breast cancer in her family. Genetic testing can only tell so much about breast cancer risk, however.
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How Can You Detect Breast Cancer Early?
Breast cancer develops from the cells of the breasts and can spread to other parts of the body (metastasis). It is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in women in the United States. A lump in the breast or armpit is often the first sign. Treatment success depends largely on early detection.
Treatment & Diagnosis
Medications & Supplements
- Side Effects of Zofran (ondansetron)
- Femara vs. Clomid
- Side Effects of Femara (letrozole)
- Side Effects of Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide)
- Side Effects of Megace (megestrol)
- Targeted Therapy: What Is Oncogenic Addiction in Cancer Cells?
- Side Effects of Taxotere (docetaxel)
- Zoladex (goserelin acetate)
- Faslodex (fulvestrant) Injection
- Side Effects of Arimidex (anastrozole)
- Side Effects of Ibrance (palbociclib)
- Side Effects of Herceptin (trastuzumab)
- Side Effects of Xeloda (capecitabine)
- Vijoice (alpelisib)
- Side Effects of Perjeta (pertuzumab)
- eribulin mesylate (Halaven)
- Nerlynx (neratinib)
- Side Effects of Tykerb (lapatinib)
- Subsys (fentanyl)
- Margenza (margetuximab-cmkb)
- Side Effects of Soltamox (tamoxifen)
- Kisqali (ribociclib)
- Verzenio (abemaciclib)
- Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine)
- Abraxane (paclitaxel protein-bound particles)
- Enhertu (fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki)
- Side Effects of Halaven (eribulin mesylate)
- Side Effects of Proleukin (aldesleukin)
- Ibrance (palbociclib)
- Udenyca (pegfilgrastim-cbqv)
- Lapatinib (Tykerb)
Prevention & Wellness
- Breast Cancer May Spread Faster at Night
- Are Breast Self-Exams Necessary? The Answer May Surprise You
- Pandemic Brought Big Drop in Breast Cancer Screening in Older, Low-Income Women
- Exercise Could Help Fight 'Chemo Brain' in Breast Cancer Patients
- Pandemic Delays in Screening Mean More Breast Cancer Deaths Ahead: Study
- How the Pandemic Changed Breast Cancer Care
- Mammogram Rates Have Rebounded Since Pandemic Began, But Concerns Remain
- After Long Decline, Breast Cancers in Young U.S. Women Are On the Rise
- Cancer Takes Heavy Toll on Women's Work and Finances: Study
- Mammograms Do Save Women's Lives, Study Finds
- Breast Cancer Care Far From Home for Rural Patients
- Despite Rise in New Cases, Breast Cancer Deaths Continue to Fall
- Health Tip: Understanding Breast Biopsy
- Scientists Spot Clues to Predicting Breast Cancer's Return
- Experimental Drug Helps Women With Deadly Type of Breast Cancer
- Mammograms Helped Save Up to 600,000 U.S. Lives Since 1989: Study
- Patients Want Breast Cancer Costs Upfront
- Bills Mount for Breast Cancer Survivors
- Cancer Care Twice as Costly in U.S. Versus Canada
- Device Might Detect Breast Cancer-Linked Swelling Sooner
- Breast Symptoms at Mammogram May Raise Future Cancer Risk
- Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines May Miss Minorities
- Friends' Experiences Sway Women's Choices on Breast Cancer Care
- Breast Cancer Radiation Not as Bad as Many Fear
- Breast Cancer 'Immunotherapy' Helps Some With Tough-to-Treat Disease
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