Chest, including lymph nodes, lobules, and ducts

Breast cancer is cancer that occurs in breast cells.

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States. Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it is much more common in women.

Significant support for breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped drive advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer survival rates have increased, and the number of deaths associated with this disease is decreasing, largely due to factors such as early diagnosis, a new personalized approach to treatment, and a better understanding of the disease.

 

Species

  • Angiosarcoma
  • Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
  • Inflammatory breast cancer
  • Invasive lobular carcinoma
  • Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
  • Male breast cancer
  • Paget’s disease
  • Recurrent breast cancer
  • The symptoms
  • Breast changes
  • Nipple changes Open popup dialog

 

Breast cancer signs and symptoms may include:

  • A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
  • Change in the size, shape or appearance of the breast
  • Changes in the skin on the breast such as pitting
  • A new inverted nipple
  • Peeling, scaling, crusting, or scaling of the pigmented skin area surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin
  • Redness or pitting in your breast, like an orange peel
  • When to see a doctor
  • If you find a lump or other change in your breast – even if a recent mammogram is normal – make an appointment with your doctor for immediate evaluation.

 

Request an Appointment at the Mayo Clinic

 

Reasons

Doctors know that breast cancer occurs when some breast cells start to grow abnormally. These cells divide faster than healthy cells and continue to accumulate, forming a lump or mass. Cells can spread (metastasize) from your breast to your lymph nodes or other parts of your body.

Breast cancer often begins with cells in the milk-producing ducts (invasive ductal carcinoma). Breast cancer can also begin in glandular tissue called lobules (invasive lobular carcinoma) or other cells or tissues in the breast.

Researchers have identified hormonal, lifestyle, and environmental factors that may increase your risk of breast cancer. However, it is unclear why some people without risk factors develop cancer, but other people with risk factors do not. Breast cancer is likely to result from a complex interaction of your genetic makeup and your environment.

 

Hereditary breast cancer

Doctors estimate that about 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are linked to gene mutations passed down a family’s generations.

A number of inherited mutated genes have been identified that can increase the likelihood of breast cancer. The best known are breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) and breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), both of which significantly increase the risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.

If you have a strong family history of breast cancer or other cancers, your doctor may recommend a blood test to help identify specific mutations in BRCA or other genes passed down in your family.

Consider asking your doctor for a referral to a genetic counselor who can review your family health history. A genetic counselor can also discuss the benefits, risks, and limitations of genetic testing to help you make collective decisions.

 

Risk factors

A breast cancer risk factor is anything that increases your chances of getting breast cancer. However, having one or more breast cancer risk factors does not necessarily mean that you will develop breast cancer. Many women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors other than just being women.

 

Factors associated with an increased risk of breast cancer include:

  • Be woman. Women are much more likely to develop breast cancer than men.
  • Increasing age. Your risk of breast cancer increases as you get older.
  • Personal history of breast diseases. If you’ve had lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) or a breast biopsy that finds atypical hyperplasia of the breast, your risk of breast cancer increases.
  • A personal history of breast cancer. If you have breast cancer in one breast, your risk of getting cancer in the other breast increases.
  • Family history of breast cancer. If your mother, sister or daughter is diagnosed with breast cancer, especially at a young age, your risk of breast cancer increases. Still, most people diagnosed with breast cancer don’t have a family history.
  • Inherited genes that increase cancer risk. Some gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer can be passed from parents to children. The best known gene mutations are called BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes can greatly increase your risk of breast cancer and other cancers, but they do not make cancer inevitable.
  • Radiation exposure. If you have received radiation therapy to your breast as a child or young adult, your risk of breast cancer increases.