Breast cancer can best be described as a type of cancer where cells abnormally divide and grow in the breast tissue. The site where breast cancer originated can typically be found either in the mammary ducts or the lobules. Cancerous tumors usually grow very slowly; by the time a lump is detectable by self examination; it can already be as much as 10 years old. However, it is important to understand the difference between invasive breast cancer and carcinoma in situ. The following is an overview of the various types of carcinoma in situ as well as invasive breast cancer.

Probably one of the most unusual roles for Sean Connery was his portrayal of a doctor in a South American jungle, looking into a way to eradicate cancer. Although there are other more awful diseases, this one holds the crown at the moment because of how often it is diagnosed. Research over the years has helped our understanding of cancer but not to the point where we are able to foretell exactly when it will happen.

Every woman should do a monthly self exam of her breasts. Her doctor can show her how this is done. Women over forty should have regular mammograms done. The best way to save your life is to catch breast cancer in its early stages.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare cancer that happens in a very small percentage of women. It is an aggressive type of locally advanced cancer. In general, women with inflammatory breast cancer are diagnosed at a younger age. In extremely rare circumstances, this form of breast cancer is diagnosed in men. Inflammatory breast cancer usually develops as a sheet rather than a lump.

Currently, the month of October is designated as the official National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). For over two decades, NBCAM has successfully educated women of all ages about early detection, treatment, and diagnosis of breast cancer. Non-profit organizations such as Karmanos Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Breast Cancer Foundation are devoted to raising money for breast cancer research and educating women (and men) about the disease, supporting those with breast cancer, and celebrating the individuals who have survived it.

The first symptom that you may have breast cancer is finding a lump in one of your breasts. Usually the lump will end up being benign which is a huge relief for that means that it is not breast cancer.

Men have underdeveloped breast tissues which puts them at a risk of developing breast cancer. Even though male breast cancer is not very common, and females are hundred times more vulnerable to breast cancer, one in hundred breast cancer cases occur in men.

Due to increasing awareness about breast cancer, a lot of women diagnosed with the disease in the early stages of the cancer and still alive and are doing well. The number of deaths because of breast cancer has fallen steeply, and is still going down, owing to better availability and success of treatments and therapy than a few years back.

There are many different risk factors for breast cancer. The most significant of these risks factors is gender and age. Most occurrences of breast cancer occur in a certain gender and age group. Even though those outside this gender and age group are still at risk for breast cancer, the risk is not as great.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women if the relatively less aggressive skin cancer is excluded from counting. Breast cancer accounts for about 32 percent of all cancer diagnosed in women.