Breast cancer occurs when a cell in the breast mutates and starts multiplying rapidly. There are more than 275,000 breast cancer diagnoses in the United States each year. Fortunately, new treatments have pushed the disease's five-year survival rate to 90%.
About Breast Cancer
Everyone, regardless of biological sex, has at least a small amount of breast tissue. The breast overlays your pectoral (chest muscles). It is largely composed of fatty tissue and some connective tissue that give the breast its shape. Breasts also contain lymph nodes, small, bean-shaped organs that help transport immune cells and remove waste from tissue. In women, the breast also has specialized glands that can produce milk. These glands are called lobules, and they are connected to the nipple by a series of small channels called ducts.
Breast cancer occurs when cells of the breast tissue grow and multiply uncontrollably. It primarily affects women but can also affect men. Several factors determine what type of breast cancer you have, your prognosis, and your treatment options. These factors include:
- Where the cancer starts
- Whether it is invasive or non-invasive
- Molecular receptor status of cancer cells
Symptoms
Breast cancer symptoms vary from person to person and there is no exact definition of what a lump or mass feels like. The best thing to do is to be familiar with your breasts so you know how “normal” feels and looks. If you notice any changes, tell your doctor. While regular self-exams are important, many breast cancers are found through regular screening mammograms before any symptoms appear.
Breast cancer symptoms may include:
- Lump or mass in the breast
- Lump or mass in the armpit
- Breast skin changes, including skin redness and thickening of the breast skin, resulting in an orange-peel texture
- Dimpling or puckering on the breast
- Discharge from the nipple
- Scaliness on nipple, which sometimes extends to the areola
- Nipple changes, including the nipple turning inward, pulling to one side or changing direction
- An ulcer on the breast or nipple, sometimes extending to the areola
- Swelling of the breast
These symptoms do not always mean you have breast cancer. However, it is important to discuss any symptoms with your doctor, since they may also signal other health problems.
Where breast cancer starts
While breast cancer can develop in several different tissue types within the breast, most cancers can be classified as either ductal carcinomas, which starts in the ducts, or lobular carcinomas, which starts in the lobule glands. See below for other types of breast cancer.
Non-invasive vs Invasive
Ductal and lobular carcinoma cancers can be further divided into non-invasive and invasive breast cancer, depending on if they have spread to the surrounding tissue. Non-invasive ductal carcinoma (also called ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS) is an early cancer stage that has not spread beyond the ducts. It is usually caught during a routine breast exam or mammogram. If ductal carcinoma spreads to the surrounding tissue, it is considered invasive. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer.
Non-invasive lobular carcinoma (also referred to as lobular carcinoma in situ) is less common, and it isn't actually classified as cancer. However, having lobular carcinoma in situ may put you at higher risk for developing breast cancer later on. (See below for other breast cancer risk factors.) Lobular carcinoma is considered invasive if it has spread to other tissue or lymph nodes within the breast. Invasive lobular carcinoma is less common than invasive ductal carcinoma.
Molecular receptor status of cancer cells
Receptors are molecules that cancer cells produce on their surface. These receptors can interact or bind with specific proteins and hormones in the patient’s body. This is called recognition.
Researchers have identified certain receptors that fuel the growth and spread of breast cancer when they recognize a specific molecule. By interrupting this recognition with cancer drugs, the disease’s growth can be slowed or stopped.
Currently, three major receptor subtypes play important roles in the patient’s prognosis and treatment. As research into breast cancer continues, more receptor subtypes with different treatments may emerge. The three main subtypes follow.
(Click to enlarge.) High levels of the HER2 receptor or receptors for estrogen and progesterone can fuel the growth and multiplication of breast cancer cells. Targeted therapy drugs can slow or stop this growth.
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Molecular receptor subtypes
Other types of breast cancer
Risk factors
A risk factor is anything that increases the chances of developing a specific disease. Key breast cancer risk factors and causes include:
- Age: As women age, their breast cancer risk increases. Most breast cancers are diagnosed after age 50. If you believe you may be more likely to develop cancer because of your personal or family medical history. Learn more about breast cancer screening.
- Inherited genetic mutations: Specific gene mutations increase the risk of developing cancer. These include BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Normal BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes repair damaged DNA. When these genes are mutated in certain ways, they fail at DNA repair, which could lead to breast and/or ovarian cancer. Other mutations that can lead to breast cancer are to PALB2, another DNA repair gene; CHEK2, a tumor suppressor gene; and PTEN, which controls how quickly cells multiply. Learn more about hereditary cancer syndromes.
- Family history: A woman’s odds of developing breast cancer are higher if a parent, sibling or child has had the disease.
- Early menstruation: Women who began menstruating before age 12 have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
- Women who have no full-term pregnancies or their first pregnancy after age 30 are at a higher risk of breast cancer.
- Previous breast cancer diagnosis: A woman who has had breast cancer once has a higher risk of developing cancer again.
- Previous radiation therapy: People who had radiation therapy to the chest in childhood or early adulthood to treat another cancer are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. The benefits of these earlier radiation treatments far outweigh the risks, however.
- Obesity: Obesity, particularly after menopause, increases a woman’s breast cancer risk.
- Dense breast tissue: Based on its appearance in a mammogram is a known risk factor for breast cancer.
- Postmenopausal hormone therapy: Some women use hormone therapies containing estrogen and progesterone to treat the symptoms of menopause. This may increase the risk of breast cancer.
- Drinking alcohol
Some cases of breast cancer can be passed down from one generation to the next. Genetic counseling may be right for you. Learn more about the risk to you and your family in our prevention and screening section.
Learn more about breast cancer:
Breast cancer prevention related articles:
Why choose MD Anderson for your breast cancer treatment?
Choosing the right hospital may be the most important decision you make as a breast cancer patient. At MD Anderson you’ll get treatment from one of the nation’s top-ranked cancer centers. Our expertise starts with the ability to accurately diagnose and stage even extremely rare cancers, then carries on through groundbreaking treatment and into survivorship.
At other centers and hospitals, doctors may be expected to develop treatment plans or perform surgery on patients with several different types of cancer and/or non-cancerous conditions. At MD Anderson, our core mission is to eliminate cancer. The surgeons, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists with the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center are focused exclusively on curing breast cancer, extending the life of breast cancer patients and maximizing their quality of life.
This allows them to develop a tremendous amount of experience and skill in treating breast cancer patients, including those with rare forms of the disease. Each doctor brings their skills to our multidisciplinary teams, where they work together to develop treatment plans that address the unique nature of each breast cancer case and patient.
As a top-ranked cancer hospital, MD Anderson is also a leader in innovating new and better ways to care for patients. Our breast cancer doctors have helped develop new treatments and therapies that have improved survival rates, decreased side effects and resulted in better cosmetic outcomes for breast cancer patients.
This care is available beyond MD Anderson’s campus in the Texas Medical Center. Through our five Houston-area locations, patients throughout the region can get the same multidisciplinary care and personalized attention close to home.
Cancer is mentally and physically challenging, but don't let it shut you down. Dust yourself off and get back up, even if you have to crawl. This is your life, after all, and it's worth fighting for.
