Breast Cancer

On this page

Summary

Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. No one knows why some women get breast cancer, but there are many risk factors. Risks that you cannot change include

Age - the risk rises as you get older
Genes - two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, greatly increase the risk. Women who have family members with breast or ovarian cancer may wish to be tested for the genes.
Personal factors - beginning periods before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55

Other risks include obesity, using hormone replacement therapy (also called menopausal hormone therapy), taking birth control pills, drinking alcohol, not having children or having your first child after age 35, and having dense breasts.

Symptoms of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in size or shape of the breast, and discharge from a nipple. Breast self-exams and mammography can help find breast cancer early, when it is most treatable. One possible treatment is surgery. It could be a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. Other treatments include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.

Men can have breast cancer, too, but it is rare.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

Breast Cancer (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Breast Cancer (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Breast Cancer Overview (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
General Information about Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
What Is Breast Cancer? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

BRCA Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Breast Biopsy (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Breast Cancer Early Detection and Diagnosis (American Cancer Society)
Breast Changes and Conditions (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Breast Exam (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
HER2 (Breast Cancer) Testing (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Lymphoscintigraphy (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Breast (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Needle Biopsy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Nipple Aspirate Test Is Not An Alternative To Mammography (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
PDL1 (Immunotherapy) Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
PTEN Genetic Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Risk Assessment, Genetic Counseling, and Genetic Testing for BRCA-Related Cancer in Women (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) - PDF
Stages of Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
TP53 Genetic Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Tumor Marker Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Ultrasound - Breast (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Your Pathology Report (Living Beyond Breast Cancer)

Prevention and Risk Factors

Aromatase Inhibitors and Other Compounds for Lowering Breast Cancer Risk (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Breast Cancer Prevention (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Get Moving to Help Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer (American Cancer Society)
Mammography: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Medications for the Risk Reduction of Primary Breast Cancer in Women (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) - PDF
Prophylactic Oophorectomy: Preventing Cancer by Surgically Removing Your Ovaries (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Surgery to Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

Breast Cancer Treatment (National Cancer Institute)
Complementary and Integrative Therapies (Susan G. Komen for the Cure) - PDF
Drugs Approved for Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Mastectomy: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Surgery Choices for Women with DCIS or Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish
Treatment Option Overview (Breast Cancer) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatment Options for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

Coping with Stress (Susan G. Komen for the Cure)
Eating Hints: Before, During, and After Cancer Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Follow up Care for Breast Cancer Treatment (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Insomnia and Fatigue (Living Beyond Breast Cancer)
Quality of Life after Breast Cancer Treatment (Susan G. Komen for the Cure)

Related Issues

Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Axillary Lymph Nodes and Breast Cancer (Susan G. Komen for the Cure) - PDF
Breast Cancer and Bone Loss (Hormone Health Network)
Cancer Treatment for Women: Possible Sexual Side Effects (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) and Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Fertility and Sexual Side Effects in People with Cancer (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
How Does Breast Cancer Start? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Is Abortion Linked to Breast Cancer Risk? (National Cancer Institute)
Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Reproductive History and Breast Cancer Risk (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Risks of Breast Cancer Screening (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
What Breast Cancer Survivors Need to Know about Osteoporosis (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Women with Disabilities and Breast Cancer Screening (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

Breast Cancer Overview (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Guide to Understanding Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (Living Beyond Breast Cancer) - PDF
HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: What Is It? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Paget Disease of the Breast (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Genetics

BRCA Mutations: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Breast and Ovarian Cancer and Family History Risk Categories (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Breast cancer: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Does Breast or Ovarian Cancer Run in Your Family? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Genetic Counseling and Evaluation for BRCA1/2 Testing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Learning about Breast Cancer (National Human Genome Research Institute)
Li-Fraumeni syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

Following a Tissue Sample (College of American Pathologists)
Lymphatics and the breast (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

Advances in Breast Cancer Research (National Cancer Institute)
Breast Cancer Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Cancer Statistics: Cancer of the Breast (Female) (National Cancer Institute)
Changes Over Time: Female Breast Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Sister Study: A Study of the Environmental and Genetic Risk Factors for Breast Cancer (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Inflammatory Breast Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Breast Cancer Types: What Your Type Means (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

American Cancer Society
Find a Cancer Doctor (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP): Find a Screening Provider Near You (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
Organizations that Offer Cancer Support Services (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Children

Breast Cancer (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Childhood Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ)-Patient Version

Teenagers

Should I Do a Breast Self-Exam? (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation)

Men

Male Breast Cancer: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

After Some Breast Cancer Treatments, Risk for Other Health Conditions May Rise (Living Beyond Breast Cancer)

Patient Handouts

After chemotherapy - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene testing (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Breast biopsy -- stereotactic (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Breast biopsy -- ultrasound (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Breast cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Breast cancer staging (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Breast lump (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Breast self exam (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Hormone therapy for breast cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish