Breast Cancer Overview - OmniMedicalSearch.com

Conditions & Diseases: Cancers

Breast Cancer

Introduction & Overview

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the tissue of the breast. A malignant tumor is formed from an increased number of cancer cells that develop in certain tissues and when not treated can spread to other areas of the body (metastasize). Breast cancer can occur in both females and males, but cases of breast cancer in males is not common.

The breasts are an important organ in the anatomy of a woman's body and plays both a functional and aesthetic role. A female breasts' internal structure is formed by three main elements:

Lobules, the glands that produce the milk.
Ducts, milk passages that connect the lobules to the nipple.
Stroma, the fat and connective tissue that surround the ducts, the lobules, blood and lymphatic vessels.

Breast cancer can develop in the ductal cells (the cells of ducts), in the lobular cells, or in the lymphatic nodes that are located in the breast. There are three type of lymphatic nodes in the breast:

Axillary lymphatic nodes, located in the underarm area.
Internal mammary nodes, located inside the chest.
Supra or infraclavicular nodes, located above or below the collarbone.

When the cancer spreads to the lymphatic drainage system and occurs in the lymphatic nodes, there is a high risk for the cancer cells to be carried into the bloodstream and then to other organs.

Not all breast lumps are cancer tumors. Benign (not cancerous) lumps or fibrocystic changes are abnormal growths that can cause the breast to swell and hurt. This term refers to fibrosis, a formation of fibrous tissue, and cyst, a sac filled with fluid. Fibrocystic changes can occur right before a woman's menstrual cycle and make the breast feel lumpy or nodular.

There are two types of fibrocystic changes: fibroadenomas and papillomas. These formations are not dangerous and cannot spread outside the breast area. However, there are two benign formations known in medical terms as papillomas and atypical hyperplasia, that increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

Article by Alina Morrow, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com