Cancer · In-depth guide
Breast Cancer
The most common cancer in women. Risk factors, screening with mammography, diagnosis, staging and treatment.
Key points
- Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.
- The damaged cells can invade surrounding tissue, but with early detection and treatment, most people continue a normal life.
- In a healthy body, natural systems control the creation, growth and death of cells.
- But when these systems malfunction, more cell growth than death can occur.
Explore Breast Cancer
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. The damaged cells can invade surrounding tissue, but with early detection and treatment, most people continue a normal life.
In a healthy body, natural systems control the creation, growth and death of cells. But when these systems malfunction, more cell growth than death can occur. The result is a mass of tissue we call a malignant tumor - or cancer. And when this process takes place in the breast, it's breast cancer. Tumors in the breast tend to grow slowly; by the time a lump is large enough to feel, it may have been growing for as long as 10 years. Some tumors, however, are aggressive and grow much faster.
Gynecologic Cancers
