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Cancer occurs when cells grow in ways they aren’t supposed to within breast tissue. Changes in cells that carry DNA (genes) cause tumors to develop.

Breast cancer can be in different parts of the breast. A breast cancer’s type is determined by the specific cells in the breast that become cancer.

Breast cancer facts and figures

• Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women.
• One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. 
• Most breast cancers (about 90%) develop from acquired (not inherited) gene changes that have not yet been identified.
• Black women have a higher chance of developing breast cancer before the age of 40 than white women. 

Our experts diagnose breast cancer with certain tests and screenings. As part of our prevention and screening services, we offer mammography and other routine cancer screenings. We also recommend a clinical breast exam where we feel for lumps and other changes in the breasts and armpits. Your and it’s helpful to understand what this means.  

We use additional tools to see if cancer is present and if it has spread. These diagnostic tests include:

• Blood chemistry tests
• Breast biopsy
• Core needle biopsy
• Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy
• Lymph node biopsy
• Surgical biopsy
• Imaging tests

If our experts confirm that breast cancer is present, we may do extra tests to learn more about the cancer. These additional tests may include:

• Genetic testing
• HER2 test
• Hormone receptor tests

Specialists use these diagnostic tests to see whether breast cancer has spread (staging). We use staging to design a personalized treatment plan for the best health outcomes.

Ductal or lobular carcinoma

Most breast cancers are carcinomas, which are tumors that start in the epithelial cells that line organs and tissues throughout the body. The two most common types of breast cancer start in the milk ducts (ductal carcinoma) or in the lobules where milk is made in the breast (lobular carcinoma). 

In situ vs. invasive breast cancers

The type of breast cancer can also refer to whether the cancer has spread or not. In situ breast cancer (ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS) is a pre-cancer that starts in a milk duct and has not grown into the rest of the breast tissue.

Invasive (or infiltrating) breast cancer (ILC or IDC) is used to describe any type of breast cancer that has spread (invaded) into the surrounding breast tissue.

Special types of invasive breast cancers

Some invasive breast cancers have special features or develop in different ways that influence their treatment and outlook. These cancers are less common but may be more serious than other types of breast cancer.

• Triple-negative breast cancer
• Inflammatory breast cancer

Less common types of breast cancer

There are other breast cancer types that start to grow in other types of cells in the breast. They are less common and sometimes need specialized types of treatment.

• Paget disease of the breast
• Angiosarcoma
• Phyllodes tumor

While you can’t change some breast cancer risk factors -- family history and aging, for example -- there are some risk factors that you can control.

What are the causes?

The exact cause of female breast cancer is unknown.

What increases the risk?

The following factors may make you more likely to develop this condition:

• Being older than 55 years of age
• Having a family history of breast cancer
• Starting menopause after age 55
• Starting your menstrual periods before age 12
• Having never been pregnant or having your first child after age 30
• Having never breastfed
• A personal history of:
  
  • Breast cancer
  • Dense breast tissue
  • Radiation exposure
  • Having the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes
  • Having certain types of benign breast conditions
  • Exposure to the drug DES, which was given to pregnant women from the 1940s to the 1970s

Other risks include:

• Using birth control pills
• Using hormone therapy after menopause
• Drinking more than one alcoholic drink a day
• Obesity

For those who are at high risk for breast cancer:

Several ¹û¶³ÊÓƵ hospitals offer a High Risk Breast Program aimed at identifying and educating people who may be at greater risk for developing breast cancer. The ¹û¶³ÊÓƵ High Risk Breast Program helps women make informed choices. 

The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass, but other symptoms are also possible. Not all lumps or masses turn out to be breast cancer. This is why regular breast cancer screening is so important.

Other symptoms of breast cancer:

Other possible symptoms of breast cancer include:

• Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no lump is felt)
• Skin dimpling (sometimes looking like an orange peel)
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple retraction (turning inward)
• Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking, or thickened
• Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)
• Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collar bone (Sometimes this can be a sign of breast cancer spread even before the original tumor in the breast is large enough to be felt.)

This condition may be diagnosed by:

• Taking your medical history and doing a physical exam. During the exam, your health care provider will feel the tissue around your breast and under your arms.
• Taking a sample of nipple discharge. The sample will be examined under a microscope.
• Performing imaging tests, such as breast X-rays (mammogram), ultrasound, or MRI.
• Taking a tissue sample (biopsy) from the breast. The sample will be examined under a microscope to look for cancer cells.
• Taking a sample from the lymph nodes near the affected breast (sentinel node biopsy).

Your cancer will be staged to determine its severity and extent. Staging is a careful attempt to find out the size of the tumor, whether the cancer has spread, and if so, to what parts of the body. Staging also includes testing your tumor for certain receptors, such as estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). This will help your cancer care team decide on a treatment that will work best for you. You may need to have more tests to determine the stage of your cancer.

Stages include the following:

• Stage 0—The tumor has not spread to other breast tissue.
• Stage 1 (I)—The cancer is only found in the breast or may be in the lymph nodes. The tumor may be up to ¾ inch (2 cm) wide.
• Stage 2 (II)—The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes. The tumor may be up to 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
• Stage 3 (III)—The cancer has spread to more distant lymph nodes. The tumor may be larger than 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
• Stage 4 (IV)—The cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones, brain, liver, or lungs.

¹û¶³ÊÓƵ experts develop a tailored breast cancer treatment plan based on your age, breast cancer type and overall health. Cancer treatments may include:

• Chemotherapy: The use of medicines to kill cancer cells.
• Hormone therapy: Taking medicine to adjust the hormone levels in your body. You may take medicine to decrease your estrogen levels. This can help stop cancer cells from growing.
• Immunotherapy: A type of cancer treatment that uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer. It works by stimulating or enhancing the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. 
• Radiation: This therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.
• Surgery: This may involve breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy or partial mastectomy) in which only the part of the breast containing the cancer is removed. Some normal tissue surrounding this area may also be removed. In some cases, surgery may be done to remove the entire breast (mastectomy) and nipple. Lymph nodes may also be removed.
• Targeted therapy: Medicines are used to block the growth and spread of cancer cells. These medicines target a specific part of the cancer cell and usually cause fewer side effects than chemotherapy. Targeted therapy may be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

A combination of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy may be needed to treat breast cancer.

Learn more about cancer treatment at ¹û¶³ÊÓƵ.

Our experts and partners also research new ways to treat breast cancer. Learn more about cancer research at ¹û¶³ÊÓƵ.

At ¹û¶³ÊÓƵ, we’ve tailored a program that encompasses a wide range of supportive services for patients and their caregivers. Our team offers services to support you and your loved ones during and after treatment for breast cancer. Learn more about cancer support services and support groups, classes and wellness programs.