Breast Cancer Symptoms and Diagnosis Cancer of breast; Cancer, Breast; Malignant neoplasm of breast; malignant tumor of breast; Mammary cancer; Paget's Disease of Breast

What is Mammography
... What is mammography? Mammography is a way to detect abnormal growths or changes in the breast tissue. It might also be performed to provide a baseline reference for later comparison. To perform mammo...

Breast Biopsy
... A biopsy is the removal of cells or tissue from a suspicious mass. The tissue or cells are then examined under a microscope to detect cancer cells. A biopsy may be performed when an abnormal breast ch...

Breast Ultrasound
... In ultrasonography, or ultrasound, high-frequency sound waves, inaudible to the human ear, are transmitted through the breast. The echoes are recorded and transformed into video or photographic images...

Ductal Lavage
... Most breast cancers (about 95 percent) develop in specialized cells called epithelial cells that line the milk ducts of the breast. Each breast has 6 to 9 separate ducts, which function independently ...

What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging?
... Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that produces very clear pictures, or images, of the human body without the use of X-rays. MRI uses a large magnet, radio waves and a computer to produce the...

Minimally Invasive Breast Biopsy
... Lumps or masses in the breast are not unusual, and most of them are not cancerous. Some breast masses can be felt during a breast exam. Others are detectable only by mammogram-breast X-ray. How a mass...

Sentinel Node Biopsy
... Sentinel node biopsy is a relatively new method used to pinpoint the first lymph node into which a tumor drains (called the sentinel node) and to remove only the nodes most likely to contain cancer ce...

The Mammography Debate
... Earlier this year, a study by an independent panel of researchers sparked an international debate about the effectiveness of mammograms in preventing breast cancer deaths. Despite the controversy, mam...

Breast Cancer Questions and Answers: Second Opinion
... My doctor found a suspicious mass on my mammogram that he thinks is cancerous. I want to get a second opinion. How can I go about this? When abnormal tissue is found during a mammogram or an exam, a s...

Stages of Breast Cancer: Questions and Answers
... What are the different stages of breast cancer? Early stage breast cancer is when the disease is localized to the breast and lymph nodes. (Lymph nodes are glands that are part of a system that helps t...

The Diagnosis is Breast Cancer
... What is breast cancer?Breast cancer is a condition in which breast cells grow abnormally and divide without control or order. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. Early detection ...

Breast Cancer Quiz: What’s Your Risk?
... 1. My mother and sister have both been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. Does this mean I will get breast cancer too? A. Yes B. No C. Maybe C - Your risk is increased by two or three times that...

Breast Cancer: Am I at Risk?
... More than ever before, women are taking an active part in their breast health. At the center of this change is our growing concern and understanding of breast cancer, the second most common form of ca...

Breast Cancer Questions and Answers: Lifetime Risk
... What is my lifetime risk of developing breast cancer? Today, approximately 1 in every 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. The 1 in 8 figure means that, if current ...

Breast Cancer Risk
... In 1940, the lifetime risk of a woman developing breast cancer was 5%, or one in 20. In 1997, that risk was estimated at 12%, or one in eight. In many cases, it''s not known why a woman gets breast ca...

Breast Cancer Risk Assessment
... Although scientists have been able to identify risk factors that increase a woman''s chance of developing breast cancer, the exact causes are not known. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer...

Determining Your Breast Cancer Risk
... What is breast cancer? In breast cancer, a cell can divide (reproduce without control), forming a malignant tumor. This most commonly occurs in the milk duct, but can also occur in the lobule. Breast ...

Signs and symptoms
... Knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer may help save your life. When the disease is discovered early, you have more treatment options and a better chance for long-term recovery. Most breast l...

Causes
... Each of your breasts contains 15 to 20 lobes of glandular tissue, arranged like the petals of a daisy. The lobes are further divided into smaller lobules that produce milk during pregnancy and breast-...

Risk factors
... A risk factor is anything that makes it more likely you''ll get a particular disease. Yet all risk factors aren''t created equal. Some, such as your age, sex, and family history can''t be changed, whe...

When to seek medical advice
... Although most breast changes aren''t cancerous, it''s important to have them evaluated promptly. If a problem exists, you can have it identified and treated as soon as possible. See your doctor if you...

Screening and diagnosis
... Screening — looking for evidence of disease before symptoms appear — is the key to finding breast cancer in its early, treatable stages. Depending on your age and risk factors, screening m...