Breast cancer begins when a single cell in the breast duct or lobule undergoes changes. This change
causes it to start growing out of control. At first, even though the cells are growing very rapidly,
they stay within the duct or lobule. At this stage the cancer is called cancer in situ. Later, the
cells may break out of the duct or lobule into the fat and surrounding tissue, where they continue to
divide and multiply. Since a tumor needs nourishment to grow, it sends out signals in the form of
proteins that cause new blood vessels to form and support it. Without a blood supply, a tumor will die.

Facts About Breast Cancer
 •Breast Cancer is a potentially dangerous tumor that develops in the cells of the breast.
 •It is a disease characterized by over growth and necrosis of some abnormal breast cell. 
 •It sometimes spread to other parts of the body: lungs, liver and brain, bones
 •It most definitely leads to death if not discovered early or left untreated.
 •Among Caucasians, it occurs in women above 50 years
 •Breast cancer among women of African decent is very aggressive.
 •It occurs a decade earlier (30s t0 40s), and is increasingly seen in young girls between the ages of 16 to 18 years.

Risk of Breast Cancer
This is anything that increases your chance of getting a breat cancer.
Risk of developing breast cancer includes:
 •Smoking
 •Breast Feeding Less than 15 months
 •Older age, obesity, sedentary life style, failure to get screened
 •Menstruating at an early age.
 •Older age at first birth or never having given birth.
 •A personal history of breast cancer or benign (no cancer) breast disease.
 •A mother or sister with breast cancer.
 •Drinking alcoholic beverages.
 •Treatment with radiation therapy to the breast/chest.
 •Breast tissue that is dense on a mammogram.
 •Taking hormones such as estrogen and progesterone

Screening for Breast Cancer
Screening and early detection is key to good outcome for breast cancer treatment.

Screening is a process where by breast cancer can be found before:
 •Symptoms develops (necrosis, smell, infections, etc)
 •Spreads to other breast
 •Spread to other parts of the body e.g. lungs, liver, bone, brain, etc

Participate in Screening and Early Detection!

General Guidelines for Breast Cancer Screening
 •Beginning at age 18, Perform monthly breast self-exam (BSE)
 •Age 20-35, Monthly BSE + Have a health care professional check your breast every year.
 •Age 35-40, Monthly BSE + Breast exam by your health care provider yearly+ Have your first mammogram
 •Age 40-50, Monthly BSE + Breast exam by your health care provider yearly + Have a mammogram every year
 •Age 50+, Monthly BSE + Breast exam by your health care provided + Have a yearly mammogram

Diagnosis of breast Cancer
Various tests are used, including:
 •Ultrasound
 •Needle aspiration
 •Needle biopsy
 •Excision biopsy
 •Mammography

Metastasis
Cancer cells may enter the bloodstream, where they may be killed by the immune system (the body’s
defensesystem against diseases). If cancer cells are not killed by the immune system, the cancer
cells may travel to distant organs of the body, settle there, grow, and divide. This process
of spread is called metastasis.Breast cancer cells have the tendency to travel to the lungs, liver,
and bones. Cancer is usually named after the place where it starts. When breast cancer travels to
the lungs, liver or bones, it is still called breast cancer and acts like breast tissue.

Treatment of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer can be treated in a number of ways.
 •Surgery (Mastectomy)
 •Radiotherapy
 •Hormone Therapy
 •Chemotherapy
 •Any combination of the four