This informational guide, part of PS's Condition Center [1], lays out the realities of this health concern: what it is, what it can look like, and strategies that medical experts say are proven to help. You should always consult your doctor regarding matters pertaining to your health and before starting any course of medical treatment.
Roughly one in eight [2] women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer at some point in her life, making this an important disease to be aware of. Unfortunately, breast cancer impacts women and men: Nearly 311,000 [3] new breast cancers are diagnosed in the U.S. each year in women, while nearly 3,000 cases are diagnosed in men, according to the American Cancer Society [4] (ACS). But breast cancer remains the most common cancer [5] in women outside of skin cancer.
Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis can be terrifying, but doctors agree there are many treatment options available for most patients. "Today, a woman diagnosed with breast cancer has much better prognosis than ever before," says Wael Harb, MD [6], medical oncologist at MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in Orange County, CA.
Richard J. Bleicher, MD [7], chief of the Division of Breast Surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center, agrees. "A breast cancer diagnosis is incredibly traumatic, but we have been improving with respect to survivability over the course of several decades," he says.
As with most forms of cancer, early detection is important. Here's what oncologists want you to know about breast cancer, including the different forms, symptoms, and treatment options.
Experts Featured in This Article:
Wael Harb [8], MD, is a medical oncologist at MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in Orange County, CA.
Richard J. Bleicher [9], MD, is the chief of the division of breast surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
What Is Breast Cancer, and What Are Its Symptoms?
Breast cancer is a form of cancer that starts in the breasts, per the ACS [10]. It can start in one or both breasts, and can happen to men and women.
Cancer starts when cells in the body begin to grow out of control. While breast cancer is commonly associated with a lump, it's possible to have a lump in the breast that is not cancer, Harb says. In fact, most lumps in the breast are not cancerous, according to the ACS.
Breast Cancer Symptoms
Symptoms can vary from person to person, but often appear as the following, per Dr. Bleicher:
- Swelling of the breast, collarbone, or armpit
- Skin dimpling, creating an orange peel-type appearance
- Nipple retraction (where the nipple pulls inward)
- Redness, thickening, or other changes in the appearance of the breast skin
- Discharge
It's also possible to have no symptoms with breast cancer. "The most common thing that happens is that women don't feel anything," Dr. Bleicher says. That's why regular mammogram screenings are so important, he says. Currently, the United States Preventive Services Task Force [11] (USPSTF) recommends that women start breast cancer screenings every two years, starting at age 40.
Types of Breast Cancer
While breast cancers are often lumped into one category, there are several different types. Breast cancers are typically broken down into invasive, which means the cancer has spread into surrounding tissue, and noninvasive, meaning it hasn't spread. (Noninvasive breast cancer is sometimes known as in situ or pre-cancer.)
These are the two main types of noninvasive breast cancer, per ACS [12]:
- Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This form of breast cancer starts in the milk ducts and has not spread to the surrounding tissue. DCIS can develop into an invasive breast cancer, however.
- Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). LCIS starts in the lobules (small glands that produce milk) but has not spread to the surrounding tissue. LCIS is technically considered benign—meaning, non-cancerous—but an LCIS diagnosis raises the risk of developing breast cancer in the future.
There are many forms of invasive breast cancer. The two most common types of invasive breast cancer are invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), according to the ACS [13]:
- Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). This form of breast cancer starts in the milk ducts and spreads to other parts of the breast tissue. About 80% of breast cancers are IDC.
- Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). ILC starts in the lobules and spreads to nearby breast tissue. About one in 10 invasive breast cancers is an invasive lobular carcinoma.
There are less common types of invasive breast cancer that make up less than 5% of all breast cancers, per the ACS. Those include:
- Adenoid cystic (or adenocystic) carcinoma
- Low-grade adenosquamous carcinoma
- Medullary carcinoma
- Mucinous (or colloid) carcinoma
- Papillary carcinoma
- Tubular carcinoma
- Metaplastic carcinoma
- Micropapillary carcinoma
- Mixed carcinoma
Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Breast cancer happens when cells grow out of control, but there are certain factors that raise a person's risk of developing the disease, Dr. Harb says. These can be broken down into risk factors you can't change and those that you can.
These are the most common risk factors for breast cancer that you can't change:
- Genetics. About 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are believed to be hereditary, meaning they're caused by genetic mutations passed down between families, according to the ACS [14]. Those include mutations in the breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) and breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2).
- Age. Getting older increases the risk of developing breast cancer, with most breast cancers diagnosed in patients over age 50, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [15](CDC).
- Reproductive history. Women who start their period before age 12 and start menopause after age 55 are at a higher risk of breast cancer due to being exposed to hormones longer, per the CDC.
- Having dense breasts. Breasts are made up of fat, glandular tissue (which produces milk), and stromal tissue (or support tissue), Harb explains. Having dense breasts means that 50% [16] or more of a woman's breast volume is stromal tissue. While dense breasts are normal and common, they are a risk factor for developing breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute [17] (NCI).
But there are also modifiable risk factors for breast cancer. According to Dr. Harb, those include:
- Not being physically active
- Weight
- Having your first pregnancy after age 30
- Not breastfeeding
- Drinking alcohol
- Smoking
Breast Cancer Treatments
There have been a lot of advancements with breast cancer treatments over the past few years. Currently, five-year survival rates [18]for breast cancer range from 86% for cancers that have spread outside the breast to nearby areas, to 99% for cancers that haven't spread outside the breast.
"We now have better treatments that are less invasive, with fewer side effects," Dr. Bleicher says. Treatment options include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapies, surgery, targeted therapy, and biological therapy, Dr. Harb says. (Doctors will typically tailor the treatment to the form of breast cancer you have.)
Because of these options, "we have a positive prognosis for patients more now than ever before," Dr. Harb says.
Korin Miller [19] is a writer specializing in general wellness, health, and lifestyle trends. Her work has appeared in Women's Health, Self, Health, Forbes, and more.