:::: FAQ : BREAST CANCER INFORMATION :.

What can I do to help detect breast cancer when it is still at a curable stage?

• Perform monthly breast self-examination beginning at age 20
• Inform your physician of any suspicious changes or lumps
• Have a clinical breast examination performed by a trained health care provider every three years beginning at age 20, then annually beginning at age 40
• Begin annual screening mammography at age 40

If you may be at increased risk (e.g., positive family history, high-risk genetic tendency or have a history of past breast cancer ) you should talk with your physicians about the benefits of starting mammography screening earlier or having additional special tests such as Breast Ultrasound, Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI), or MRI.

What is the cause of breast cancer?

• The exact cause of breast cancer remains unknown.
• Hormonal effects, age and genetics are known to play an important role in the risk for developing breast cancer.
• Diet and environmental factors appear to have a somewhat more controversial role.

What is DCIS or ductal carcinoma in situ?

DCIS is the early stage of breast cancer, while it is still contained within the ducts and before the cancer has begun to invade the surrounding tissue. Most DCIS is curable when promptly treated.

What is invasive breast cancer?

When cancer cells break out of the ducts in which they develop, they are free to spread through or “invade” breast tissue. The cancer has progressed from non-invasive or DCIS to invasive breast cancer.

What is the difference between “ductal”carcinoma and “lobular” carcinoma?

Cancers that arise from the cells lining the duct are called ductal carcinomas, while carcinomas
which arise from cells that line the acini are called lobular carcinomas.

What is metastasis?

The term metastasis means spread, usually through the lymph vessels or veins, to a part of the body that is some distance from the original tumor. High quality mammography is the only reliable method for detecting early breast cancer while it is still contained within the ducts or has not yet entered the lymph vessels or veins.

What is the role of genetics in breast cancer development?

There are two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, that have the ability to suppress the development and growth of tumors. These are called tumor suppressor genes. These genes may undergo a change (mutate) that causes them to lose their ability to suppress tumors, thus removing the protection provided by the normal genes. Women with mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 have a very high risk for developing breast cancer.

Women who have a history of colon or ovarian cancer and who have multiple relatives with breast cancer and cancers of the colon or ovaries should consult their physicians to see if genetic testing for one of the BRCA genes is appropriate.

Do men develop breast cancer?

Yes, approximately 1% of breast cancer occurs in men.

What is the cause of breast cancer?

The exact cause of breast cancer remains unknown. Hormonal effects, age and genetics are known to play an important role in the risk for developing breast cancer. Diet and environmental factors appear to have a somewhat more controversial role.

What are my risks for developing breast cancer?

1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some time during their lives. Women who have had a previous breast cancer are at the highest risk for developing another breast cancer.

Women with family history of breast cancer in a first-line relative (mother, sister, brother or father), developing under the age of 50, have 2 to 4 times the risk of women with no positive family history.

The good news is that even with most of the risk factors that increase your chance for developing breast cancer, the odds favor you never having a breast cancer.

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