BACKGROUND ON BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, with approximately one in nine women developing the disease in her lifetime. Although breast cancer is known to affect women, it also can be equally devastating to men. Male breast cancer accounts for 1% of all diagnosed breast cancer. Breast Cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells are found in the tissues of the breast. These cancerous cells continue to grow and eventually form into a lump known as a tumor. Although more than 80% of breast lumps are not cancerous, a process known as a biopsy is the only way to know for sure. A biopsy requires the doctor to remove a small sample of tissue and examine it under a microscope and check for cancerous cells. Breast Cancer affects more American women than any other type of cancer. There were about 100,000 new cases diagnosed in 1985, and in 1994, over 180,000 new cases were confirmed. One reason given to this dramatic rise is that more women are receiving diagnostic tests for breast cancer. However, other reasons for the long-term increase in breast cancer are not yet fully understood. Some researchers believe that maintaining a low-fat diet can lower a person's risk for breast cancer. Also, one should consult with a physician before taking any hormone-containing drugs, since some of these medications have been linked to breast cancer. The best strategy for preventing the onset of breast cancer is to follow the recommended early detection guidelines A proper diagnosis of breast cancer can only be made by a physical examination of tissue extracted from the breast. This type of examination is called a biopsy. A lump in the breast usually requires that a biopsy be perfomed even when a mammogram has described the tissue as being normal. Breast tissue may be obtained by needle aspiration biopsy or surgical biopsy. Needle aspiration helps to distinguish between solid tumors and liquid-filled tumors (cysts ). In this procedure, a fine needle is inserted into the breast and the fluid is removed. Cysts are rarely associated with cancer and only are tested if they are bloody or if the patient is older than 55 years of age. If the lump is solid, then a needle also is used to gather a cluster of cells, which can then be sent to a laboratory for further testing. Surgical biopsy is usually performed if the lumps are solid. There are two types of surgical biopsy that can be performed. An incisional biopsy removes only a portion of the suspicious lump for the pathologist to examine. An excisional biopsy, the most commonly performed procedure, is used when lumps are small. In this case, the entire lump and a small amount of surrounding tissue are removed. The entire lump of suspicious tissue is then sent to the pathologist for further examination











SOURCE-http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/cancer-breast1.html