Breast cancer is a disease where malignant cells are formed in the breast tissue. It is manifested with abnormal cells that grow and attack healthy cells in the body. The breast cancer begins in the cells of the breast, which can then attack nearby tissues thereby spreading the cancer (metastasising) to other parts of the body.
One in 8 women will face breast cancer in her lifetime.
Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease and the second leading cause of death in women.
Rarely, breast cancer can appear in men too.
The breast cancer mortality rate has decreased since 1990, partly because of better screening and early detection, partly because of increased awareness, as well as constant improvement of treatment options.
We don’t know the exact reason for breast cancer, why it appears in one woman and not in another. What we know is that breast cancer is caused by damaged cell DNA.
When the cell DNA is damaged the cancer grows, but why or how the DNA becomes damaged is yet unknown. It could be genetic or environmental factors, or as in most cases, the combination of both.
Early detection decreases the mortality rate by up to 30%.
Screening means a mammographic exam on a certain age group of healthy women, over a certain period.
Every woman should perform monthly self-examination of the breast.