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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
Diagnosis and Tests
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BRCA Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
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Breast Biopsy
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Breast Cancer Early Detection and Diagnosis (American Cancer Society)
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Breast Changes and Conditions
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
- Breast Exam (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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HER2 (Breast Cancer) Testing
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Lymphoscintigraphy (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- MRI of the 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
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PDL1 (Immunotherapy) Tests
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
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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
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TP53 Genetic Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
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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
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Breast Cancer Prevention
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
- Get Moving to Help Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer (American Cancer Society)
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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
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Surgery to Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
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Breast Cancer Treatment
(National Cancer Institute)
- Complementary and Integrative Therapies (Susan G. Komen for the Cure) - PDF
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Drugs Approved for Breast Cancer
(National Cancer Institute)
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Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
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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
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Treatment Option Overview (Breast Cancer)
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
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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)
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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
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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
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Dense Breasts: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
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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
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Is Abortion Linked to Breast Cancer Risk?
(National Cancer Institute)
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Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cancer
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
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Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
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Reproductive History and Breast Cancer Risk
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
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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
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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)
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Li-Fraumeni syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics
(National Library of Medicine)
Videos and Tutorials
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Following a Tissue Sample
(College of American Pathologists)
-
Lymphatics and the breast
(Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
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Advances in Breast Cancer Research
(National Cancer Institute)
- Breast Cancer Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Cancer Statistics: Cancer of the Breast (Female)
(National Cancer Institute)
- Changes Over Time: Female Breast Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Family Health Matters: How Twin Studies Can Help Everyone
(National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
-
Sister Study: A Study of the Environmental and Genetic Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Neoplasms
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Inflammatory Breast Neoplasms
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Use of SNP chips to detect rare pathogenic variants: retrospective, population...
- Article: Development and validation of a risk stratification nomogram for predicting prognosis...
- Article: Comparison of the ductal carcinoma in situ between White Americans and...
- Breast Cancer -- see more articles
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)
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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