Breast Cancer

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with breast cancer

What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow and multiply abnormally. This can happen if the genes in a cell that control cell growth no longer work properly. As a result, the cell divides uncontrollably and may form a tumor. You may be able to feel it as a lump under the skin, or you may not realize it’s there at all until it’s found on an imaging test, such as a mammogram (breast x-ray).

Keep in mind that most breast lumps are benign (not cancerous). That means they can’t spread and are not life-threatening. Malignant tumors are cancerous. If left untreated, the cancer can invade surrounding tissue and spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Many breast cancers are discovered through routine breast screening exams such as mammograms, even when a woman has no other signs of disease. However, on your own, you may notice symptoms that could be suspicious. See your doctor right away if you have any of these conditions:

• a lump or thickness in or near the breast or under the arm
• unexplained swelling or shrinkage of the breast, particularly on one side only
• dimpling or puckering of the breast
• nipple discharge (fluid) other than breast milk that occurs without squeezing the nipple
• breast skin changes, such as redness, flaking, thickening, or pitting that looks like the skin of an orange
• a nipple that becomes sunken (inverted), red, thick, or scaly