Mammary carcinoma
| Breast cancer | |
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| Mammograms showing a normal breast (left) and a breast with cancer (right, white arrows). | |
| Specialty | Oncology |
| Symptoms | Lump in a breast, change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, fluid coming from the nipple, red scaly patch of skin |
| Risk factors | Female, obesity, lack of exercise, alcohol, hormone replacement therapy during menopause, ionizing radiation, early age at first menstruation, having children late or not at all, older age, family history, Klinefelter syndrome |
| Diagnostic method | Tissue biopsy |
| Treatment | Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy |
| Prognosis | Five-year survival rate ~85% (US, UK) |
| Frequency | 2.1 million affected as of 2015 |
| Deaths | 533,600 (2015) |
| Classification |
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| External resources |
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, fluid coming from the nipple, or a red scaly patch of skin. In those with distant spread of the disease, there may be bone pain, swollen lymph nodes, shortness of breath, or yellow skin.
Risk factors for developing breast cancer include being female, obesity, lack of physical exercise, drinking alcohol, hormone replacement therapy during menopause, ionizing radiation, early age at first menstruation, having children late or not at all, older age, and family history. About 5–10% of cases are due to genes inherited from a person's parents, including BRCA1 and BRCA2 among others. Breast cancer most commonly develops in cells from the lining of milk ducts and the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers developing from the ducts are known as ductal carcinomas, while those developing from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas. In addition, there are more than 18 other sub-types of breast cancer. Some cancers, such as ductal carcinoma in situ, develop from pre-invasive lesions. The diagnosis of breast cancer is confirmed by taking a biopsy of the concerning lump. Once the diagnosis is made, further tests are done to determine if the cancer has spread beyond the breast and which treatments it may respond to.
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