October--Breast Cancer Awareness

One in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.  Did you know that men can develop breast cancer?  According to the Susan G Komen website, 1.2 per 100,000 men will develop breast cancer.  http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/FactsForMen.html

   

What is breast cancer?  I call cancer “cells gone wild.”  I am describing what happens when our normal body cells change into abnormal cells and start to grow rapidly and out of control.  There are multiple types of breast cancer depending on which breast cells are involved.  Let’s define some terms that doctors and medical people may use: 

Tumor means a mass—may or may not be cancerous. 

Benign means not cancer.

In situ means the breast cancer is small and still confined to breast tissues

Metastatic means the breast cancer has spread outside local tissues to the lymphatic system and to other parts of the body.

Invasive means the cancer has grown and now invades tissues close to the original site. 

Two of the specific types of cancer include ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma.  Ductal carcinoma (cancer cells involving the ducts –the connecting channel which carries the milk from the lobules to the nipple)  Lobular cancinoma (cancer cells involving the lobules—glands which produce milk)