Breast cancer is a cancer that spreads easily. Most of the time it’s because of some kind of genetic defect or impact on DNA. Treatment might include surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.

Breast cancer can affect both females and males, but this article focuses on the condition in females. While most breast cancers don’t have symptoms, someone might feel a lump in the breast, changes to the nipple, and armpit or breast pain.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of breast cancer should see a healthcare professional. Swifter diagnosis and treatment may affect an individual’s long-term prospects.

This article details the symptoms, causes and types of breast cancer. It also examines treatment options and prognosis.

Findings from the American Cancer Society (ACS) note that a mass or lump in the breast or underarm is likely to be either ribbon lumps as WebMD sources say it most commonly occurs atRespected Source, allowing for possibility of few translations.

Other symptoms may include:

a sore or ulcer of the breast that makes raw surface skin, pitting or dimpling in the breast tissue which looks like an orange

nipple discharge
swelling
nipple or breast pain
a sunken or inverted nipple
skin dryness, flaking, or thickening of skin over the breast / nipple area
swollen lymph nodes

The ACS also notes that the majority of breast lumps are noncancerous. But women who identify a lump in their breasts should visit medical help.

Causes of breast cancer

Reliable Source of Origin: Breast cancer is caused by changes in the genes that occur through inheritance (not inherited) and ultimately lead to breast cells.

Factors likeResearchers indicateTrusted Source being at a higher risk of breast cancer in those that:

estrogen exposure
Genetic Faults Passed Down The Family Line
genetic factors such as the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that predict a high risk of cancer

Immune systems are designed to attack abnormal DNA or growths — if you will, cancerosomes by another name — but they obviously don’t do so in the case of full-blown cancer.

In response to this double signal, cells within the breast tissue begin reproducing uncontrollably and do not die off as they normally would. This excessive cell growth results in the tumor that consumes nutrients and energy to feed it.

Types of breast cancer

Post Puberty, female breasts are composedTrusted Source:

fat
connective tissue
which are made up of lobes that have clusters of tiny milk-producing sacs called lobules

The most commonTrusted Source types are lobular carcinoma (which starts in a lobule) and ductal carcinoma, which begins in one of the tiny ducts that carry milk from the lobules to the nipples.

Invasive vs noninvasive

Invasive breast cancer means that the cancerous cells have spread into nearby tissue. The cancer will spread to your rest of the body.

By contrast, noninvasive breast cancer sits where it is; Which might want to be named a “precancerous lesion” by way of your MD. They are cells that have the potential to become invasive.

Treating breast cancer

Treatment may depend on:

the cancer type and stage
hormone sensitivity of the tumor
The person’s age, general health and personal choice

The side effects of cancer treatments can be difficult to manage. Speak to a doctor about the possible risks before choosing treatment.

How to treat it

Surgery

If surgery is indicated, the type will depend on diagnosis and patient preference. Types include:

Lumpectomy: A lumpectomy leaves as much of your breast intact as possible by cutting out the tumor and surrounding tissue. It might be considered if the tumor is small and can easily separated from surrounding structures.

Mastectomy: In this type, besides removing a part (or whole) occuring tumor and surrounding risk-prone structures from affected side which could be up to pectoral muscles(pecctral chest wall), remove all lobules, ducts(fatty tissue – connecture deep in skin, nipple with some areola. In some cases, the lymph nodes are also removed by a surgeon.

Sentinel node biopsy: This is the removal of a small number of lymph nodes to helpTrusted Source doctors figure out how far cancer has spread and what kind of treatment you need.

Axillary lymph node dissection: If there are cancer cells in the sentinel nodes, your doctor will recommend removing more lymph nodes from under the arm.

After a mastectomy, for example, the breast can be restored with a procedure that makes it appear more normal. This aids the individual to manage with the mental impacts of bust elimination.

The surgeon reconstructs the breast at the time of mastectomy or in a phased manner. This may involve a breast implant, or tissue from another part of your body.

Radiation therapy

People may receive radiation therapy either during or after surgery. It is most frequently given after a lumpectomy, but some individuals may be treated with radiation therapy following mastectomy.

This therapy delivers precise, fractionated doses of radiation to the tumor which destroys any residual cancer cells.

Chemotherapy

Some women with a high risk of the cancer recurring or spreading may also be given chemotherapy as well. Chemotherapy given after surgery is called adjuvant chemotherapy.

A doctor may suggest chemotherapy first to shrink the tumor so that surgery is more likely to remove it all. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy..

Hormone-blocking therapy

Hormone-blocking therapy: for treating estrogen receptor-positive and progesterone receptor-positive cancers. Healthcare professionals may giveTrusted Source it before surgery to reduce the tumor or afterward for improved results.

Hormone-blocking therapy: if you are not in a situation to go for surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy then your doctor may consider it.

Here are some hormone-blocking drugs:

tamoxifen (Nolvadex)
aromatase inhibitors
surgical menopause (ovarian ablation or suppression)
goserelin (Zoladex)

Biological treatment

Some of these drugs, such as trastuzumab (Herceptin) and lapatinib (Tykerb), target a protein that different types of breast cancer cells use to grow.

Frequently asked questions

Is breast cancer painful?

The most commonTrusted Source sign of breast cancer is a lump or mass in the breast. That is because the lumps are generally painless. But an individual may have cyclical pain in the nipple or breast.

If there is breast pain, especially if it is severe or long-lasting, women should see a doctor.

How many years can breast cancer have been brewing without drawing attention to its presence?

The stage of breast cancer or how many years someone has had it without being aware varies based on the type of breast cancer, symptoms and screenings.

Inflammatory breast cancer, for instance, is a rare and aggressive form of the disease that often does not cause a lump and might not appear on mammograms at all. Due to the advanced stages at which many of these symptoms begin, diagnosis can be delayed.

What is the Outlook for Breast Cancer?

Research shows that 91%Trusted Source of women with breast cancer will survive for at least five years after their diagnosis. Still, because this is old data and therapy improves all the time, a person diagnosed today may have better prospects than what you see here (ACSTrusted Source).

Summary

Symptoms of breast cancer can include a lump, skin changes or redness/ inflammation to the breast/nipple and pain. If you have a lump to check, see a specialist.

Treatment options may include chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. A particular treatment may be most suitable according to the type and stage of cancer.

There are ways a person can reduce their risk of breast cancer, such as keeping healthy and talking to your doctor about what age is best for screening.