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What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both breasts. It is the most common type of cancer in women, but it is often cured when found early.
What causes breast cancer?
The exact cause of breast cancer is not known. Female hormones and increasing age play a part. The chances that you will develop breast cancer increase as you age. About 1 in every 7 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer if she lives to be 80. Family history also plays a role in the development of breast cancer. You are more likely to have breast cancer if your mother, father, or sister has breast cancer. Also, women who carry certain genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 are more likely to have breast cancer. If you have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, you may want to be tested for these genes. People who inherit specific changes, or mutations, in one or both of these genes have a greater risk of developing breast cancer.
Studies show that women who take hormone replacement therapy with estrogen and progesterone have an increased risk of breast cancer. Women who take estrogen alone may not have an increased risk.
Many people believe that only women have breast cancer. But, although rare, about 1% of all breast cancer occurs in men. Most men who have breast cancer are older than 65, but it can appear in younger men. For this reason, any breast lump in an adult man is considered abnormal.
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