Q. What is breast cancer? Breast Cancer is a disease in which
malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. It
is considered a heterogeneous disease—differing by individual,
age group, and even the kinds of cells within the tumors
themselves. Women in the United States get breast cancer more
than any other type of cancer except for skin cancer. It is
second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in women.
Breast cancer has a very good cure rate if diagnosed early and
most breast cancers can be treated with a lumpectomy (removal of
the lump with some surrounding tissue usually associated with a
good cosmetic result) instead of a mastectomy (complete removal
of the breast). Q. What are the risk factors of breast cancer?
While no one knows the exact causes of breast cancer, research
has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely
than others to develop the disease. Risk factors include: age,
menstrual & reproductive history, and family history. Since half
of all women diagnos