Breast cancer

lumps Breast infection Fibrocystic breast disease Fibroadenoma (noncancerous tumor) Fat necrosis (damaged tissue)

PAINStressSide affect of birth controlHormones caused by menstruationBra that doesn’t fit

symptoms Nipple discharge or retraction of the nipple Enlargement of one breast Dimpling of the breast surface An “orange peel” texture to the skin Vaginal pain Unintentional weight loss Enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit Visible veins on the breast

Types of breast cancer

Noninvasive: cancer has not spread from original tissue (stage 0)

Invasive: cancer cells have spread to surrounding tissue (stages I-Iv)

Breast exams Mammogram: an x-ray of the breast to help tell

between a benign and malignant mass Biopsy: removal of a small amount of breast tissue for

testing Ultrasound: use of ultrasonic sound waves to

produce an image of the tissue MRI: normally used in conjunction with other tests,

magnetic resonance imaging is another noninvasive way to examine breast tissue

treatments Mastectomy: surgical removal of part or the whole breast to

remove a tumor and connecting tissue

Lumpectomy: removes the tumor while leaving the breast intact

Chemotherapy: the most common cancer treatment, chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to interfere with cells’ ability to reproduce

Radiation: another standard in the fight against cancer, radiation uses X-rays to directly treat cancer

Hormone & Targeted Therapy: used when either genes or hormones play a part in the cancer’s growth