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.
Breast cancer survivor: Calling MD Anderson was the best decision I ever made
You only have one life. So, when you find out you have cancer, you don’t want to mess around. You want the best possible care you can get, from experts, at a place that has all the bases covered.
That’s why I chose MD Anderson for my breast cancer treatment.
My breast cancer symptoms
I wasn’t actually diagnosed with stage I breast cancer until late 2021. But by then, I’d been showing one of its less common symptoms for almost four years: abnormal nipple discharge.
The first time I experienced it was in 2017. I was on the phone and just felt something wet on my shirt over my left breast. I hadn’t breastfed an infant at that point in almost 20 years. I’d also had a hysterectomy. So, I knew the discharge couldn’t be anything related to normal pregnancy or lactation.
I consulted my doctor. After examining me and performing a breast biopsy, he said the blood-tinged fluid was caused by intraductal papillomas, or wart-like growths that can sometimes develop in the milk ducts. Having more than one papilloma increases your risk of developing breast cancer, so he asked a surgeon to remove them.
Three months later, I experienced the exact same thing on the right side. I asked for a double mastectomy. I was told it wasn’t necessary, as the discharge would not happen again. Then, in October 2019, I had even more discharge from that same breast. And, it was changing colors.
My doctor performed another breast biopsy. It came back negative for cancer, just like all the others. Again, I asked for a double mastectomy. I felt like I was running out of chances. But my next mammogram was normal. My request was denied.
Then, in November 2021, I felt a lump above my left breast. It wasn’t round, and it didn’t really feel hard, but it was definitely there. None of my papillomas had ever had a lump. That’s when my husband said, “We’re going to MD Anderson.”
My breast cancer treatment
Calling MD Anderson was the best decision I ever made. The lady I spoke with on the phone was very kind and made my intake process easy. Within just a short time, I was making plans to travel to Houston from my home in southern Missouri, and watching appointments pop up on my phone in the MyChart app. I was scheduled to see four different specialists.
At MD Anderson, the first thing my care team did was confirm my diagnosis: mucinous adenocarcinoma of the left breast. Then, breast surgical oncologist Dr. Solange Cox recommended surgery to remove my left breast. I opted to have my other breast removed at the same time, too, given my medical history. I had the double mastectomy on March 8, 2022.
Medical oncologist Dr. Senthil Damodaran weighed in and said I didn’t need chemotherapy. But I did have four weeks of radiation therapy under radiation oncologist Dr. Wendy Woodward, whose team was absolutely phenomenal. Plastic surgeon Dr. Ashleigh Francis handled my DIEP flap reconstruction, as well as a revision of it last October.
A stellar team — and an amazing plastic surgeon
Everyone on my care team at MD Anderson has been absolutely wonderful. But I cannot sing Dr. Francis’ praises highly enough. Her dedication and attention to detail just blew me away.
Radiation is a plastic surgeon’s worst nightmare because of the way it hardens tissue. And, I am a person who naturally forms lots of scar tissue. But during my first reconstruction procedure, Dr. Francis stood in the operating room for 12 hours straight, working through all the adhesions in my abdomen caused by previous surgeries. It normally would’ve taken about eight hours.
The doctor who came to check on me the next morning said that any other doctor would’ve just moved on and harvested the extra tissue they needed from my thighs. But not Dr. Francis. She did not give up. And, she got every last thing she needed from my abdomen. I was floored.
My life today
I am cancer-free today, and the only side effect I have is a little bit of lymphedema in my left arm. My left breast is still a little wonky looking, too, because only so much can be done about scar tissue. But my overall experience at MD Anderson was so positive that I decided to start receiving all of my other cancer care and screenings at MD Anderson, too.
I’m really glad now that I did. I’d been told by a doctor close to home that I had one big nodule on my thyroid. But endocrine surgical oncologist Dr. Elizabeth Grubbs discovered it was actually multiple smaller nodules that appeared benign on imaging. And that’s much better news for me, prognosis-wise. We’re still just watching them closely.
MD Anderson also did ultrasounds on my entire neck from different angles. The other hospital system didn’t. Things like that show just how superior MD Anderson is. It not only has state-of-the-art equipment. It also has leading experts in every type of cancer, and they know exactly what to do, and how to interpret scans and test results to get a really accurate picture of what’s going on.
I know from first-hand experience now the difference between MD Anderson and other hospitals: it’s like night and day. MD Anderson really is the best — and why wouldn’t you want the best? I have a lot of life left to live. And, a new grandson to watch grow up. MD Anderson is helping me do both.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.
How to reduce your breast cancer risk
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. So, you may be wondering how to avoid breast cancer.
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer, there are ways to reduce your risk.
As a breast medical oncologist, my top advice is to practice breast awareness, follow screening guidelines and tell your doctor if you have a family history of cancer.
Ahead, we explore these topics in more detail.
Understand breast cancer risk factors
First, it can be helpful to understand the factors that put someone at a higher risk for breast cancer.
Breast cancer risk factors include:
Sex
Breast cancer is more common in women, although men can also get breast cancer.
Age
Breast cancer usually develops after menopause for women.
On average, men are usually diagnosed with breast cancer between ages 60 and 70, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Family history
Breast cancer runs in families. You may be at a higher risk of breast cancer if you have a first- or second-degree blood relative who has or had breast cancer. A first-degree relative is a parent, sibling or child. A second-degree relative is a grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or half-sibling.
Men with a parent, sibling or child with breast cancer have double the risk of breast cancer.
Genetic mutations
Mutations are abnormal changes in genes. These mutations can be hereditary, which means they are passed down in families. Some genetic mutations can increase the risk of breast and other cancers. One example of this is Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome. It is caused by mutations to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and impacts their ability to repair DNA. Additionally, mutations to other genes, including CDH1, PALB2, CHEK2 and PTEN, can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer.
Breast conditions
Certain non-cancerous breast tissue conditions can increase the risk for breast cancer. These include hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ. These are usually found during a mammogram and diagnosed after a biopsy.
Dense breast tissue
A mammogram can also reveal if a woman has dense breast tissue. This means the breast has more glandular tissue than fat tissue. Having dense breast tissue can slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. Glandular tissue and tumors can be hard to tell apart as they both appear white on a mammogram.
Estrogen levels
Many factors impact a woman’s hormones, and, in turn, her breast cancer risk. For example, women are at a higher risk for breast cancer if they:
- begin menstruating earlier in life,
- have no full-term pregnancies,
- first get pregnant after age 30,
- use post-menopausal hormone therapy options that contain estrogen and/or
- take the birth control pill
In contrast, women with multiple pregnancies or those who breastfeed have a lower risk of breast cancer. This is due to how the ovarian cycle impacts estrogen levels. Not ovulating means fewer spikes in estrogen, which reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Practice breast awareness
People of all ages and genders can practice breast awareness.
Note any changes to the way your breasts look or feel. These changes may include:
- Color
- Hardness
- Skin thickness
- Bumps
- Swelling
If you do notice a change in your breast, you might wonder if you should head to the doctor right away.
However, a woman’s breast tissue can change based on their menstrual cycle; breasts may feel denser or softer at different points during the cycle. One cycle is a month, so don't expect things to change within a day.
Instead, keep an eye on the change. If it doesn’t go away after a month, make an appointment with your doctor.
Get screened for breast cancer
In addition to practicing breast awareness, you should also get screened for breast cancer when you are eligible.
Breast cancer screening methods depend on your age and risk for breast cancer.
Women between ages 25 and 30 can ask their doctor for a breast cancer risk assessment. This can determine whether they are at average or high risk for breast cancer. This risk assessment can also determine when they should begin other types of breast cancer screenings.
Women at average risk for breast cancer should receive a clinical breast exam every one to three years between ages 25 and 39. During a clinical breast exam, a health care provider examines the breasts for any lumps or abnormalities.
Starting at age 40, women should receive an annual mammogram in addition to their yearly clinical breast exam. A mammogram, or breast X-ray, allows a doctor to see any abnormalities in the breast tissue that are too small to feel during a clinical breast exam. Mammograms can help doctors detect breast cancer earlier when it is easiest to treat.
Learn more about what to expect at a mammogram.
Tell your doctor about your family history of breast cancer
It is important to let your doctor know if breast cancer runs in your family.
This allows your care team to assess your risk and determine when it is appropriate for you to begin breast cancer screening. If you are at a higher risk for breast cancer, you may need to start screening earlier than what is listed on screening guidelines.
Additionally, those with a family history of breast cancer may be candidates for genetic counseling and testing. Genetic testing reveals whether a patient has a genetic mutation that puts them at an increased risk of breast cancer. If genetic mutations are found, your care team will make recommendations for breast cancer screening based on the genetic mutation found.
Focus on healthy habits
Your habits may also impact your risk for breast cancer.
Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of breast cancer. For cancer prevention, it is best not to drink. Women who choose to drink alcohol should limit themselves to one drink per day; men should limit themselves to two drinks a day.
Maintaining a healthy body weight is also important for cancer prevention. Post-menopausal weight gain in women may be related to an increased risk of breast cancer. However, weight gain doesn’t directly lead to breast cancer. Rather, it impacts hormones and other biological factors. For example, fat tissue can produce estrogen and other hormones that can increase inflammation and open the pathway to potential cancer promotion.
I encourage healthy lifestyle habits such as eating a healthy diet and engaging in physical activity.
Focus on choosing healthy foods. For example, when building your plate, aim to fill two-thirds of it with whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds. The remaining one-third can be lean animal protein or plant-based protein.
A healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet and getting your cancer screening exams are all important steps to reduce your risk of cancer.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.
Molecular receptor subtypes
HER2-positive breast cancer
HER2 (Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) is a protein involved in cell growth. Breast cancers with high levels of HER2 on the surface of the cancer cells are considered HER2-positive. When two of these proteins bond they form a dimer, which sends a signal to the cell that promotes growth and multiplication. Treatment includes anti-HER2 therapy that targets the HER2 protein. HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for about 15%-20% of all breast cancers.
About half of HER2-positive cancers are also hormone receptor-positive/ER positive (see below). These patients receive treatments that target both molecular receptors. They are classified as HER2-positive since doctors believe HER2 is the primary driver of the disease.
A HER2-positive diagnosis was at one time associated with a higher risk of recurrence. Recent treatment advances, particularly with targeted therapies, have made the disease more curable in its early stages. They have also extended the survival period for patients whose cancer metastasized, or has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes.
Hormone receptor-positive/ER-positive breast cancer
Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer is the most common type of breast cancer. This disease has receptors that bind with one of two naturally occurring hormones, estrogen and progesterone. These hormones fuel the growth of the cancer by binding to these receptors.
Endocrine therapy (also known as hormone therapy) targets this receptor/hormone recognition, thereby stopping or slowing the growth of cancer. These therapies can limit the body’s production of estrogen and progesterone or stop the receptors from recognizing the hormones.
Thanks to hormone therapy and the cancer’s tendency to spread relatively slowly, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer is considered the most treatable form of the three main subtypes.
Triple-negative breast cancer
Triple-negative breast cancer (sometimes called basal breast cancer) covers most breast cancers that do not have one of the molecular receptors listed above. Besides this, triple-negative breast cancers can have very little in common.
Since there’s no receptor in these cancers that has a major impact on the disease when targeted, triple-negative breast cancer is the most difficult subtype to treat. It also tends to be more aggressive, so the prognosis for this subtype is often worse than others.
Other types of breast cancer
Ductal carcinoma in situ
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a condition in which cancer cells have formed in the milk ducts but have not spread to nearby tissue. DCIS is the earliest possible form of ductal breast cancer. It is sometimes referred to as Stage 0 breast cancer.
For some patients, DCIS will advance and invade nearby tissue. Others can have DCIS for years without it moving outside the ducts. There is no way to distinguish between the two.
DCIS can be treated with surgery or radiation therapy.
Inflammatory breast cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer accounts for 2-4% of all breast cancer diagnoses in the United States. It is commonly associated with invasive ductal cell carcinoma. The disease is aggressive and makes up about 10% of all breast cancer deaths in the U.S. In this disease, cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin and soft tissue. Inflammatory breast cancer is more often triple-negative or HER2-positive than non-inflammatory breast cancer.
Invasive lobular carcinoma
Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is a rare type of breast cancer that grows in the lobes of the breast, where milk is produced.
Unlike ductal carcinomas, ILCs usually do not form a lump. Instead, the cancer cells grow in straight lines. This makes them harder to feel during a physical breast examination. In many cases, patients do not notice the growth until these lines of cancer cells intersect and form a mass. When this occurs, the tumor often feels like a swollen, full breast and not a lump.
Male breast cancer
Each year about 2,500 men in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer. Like female breast cancer, most cases fall into the three receptor subtype groups (HER2-positive, hormone receptor-positive and triple-negative).
Learn more about male breast cancer.
Related articles:
Metaplastic breast cancer
Metaplastic breast cancer is rare, making up less than 1% of all breast cancers. Metaplastic breast cancer starts in the duct cells. In this disease, the duct cells transform from normal duct cells to cells that resemble soft or connective tissue. Most patients have a distinct breast lump that grows quickly. The disease is aggressive and usually has a triple-negative receptor type. It is difficult to treat successfully.
Metastatic breast cancer
Advanced breast cancer (also called metastatic breast cancer and stage IV breast cancer) is not a distinct type of cancer. Instead, it is any breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other parts of the body, such as the bones, brain, liver or lungs. Even though the disease may be found in other organs, it is still considered and treated like breast cancer.
Most cases of advanced breast cancer are not considered curable. Instead, they are treated like a chronic illness. The goal of care is to prolong life and maintain the patient’s quality of life. With emerging therapies and treatments, many metastatic breast cancer patients can live well for years. MD Anderson has an Advanced Breast Cancer Clinic dedicated to caring for these patients.
Paget disease of the breast
Paget disease is a rare form of breast cancer, making up 1-4% of all breast cancer cases, according to the National Cancer Institute. It arises when ductal carcinoma cancer cells invade the skin of the nipple. This can cause a rash or scaling of the nipple that may spread to the areola (the colored area surrounding skin).
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.
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