About this website

This website aims to give information on the symptoms and causes of breast cancer, as well as details on some of the current research on breast cancer treatments.

 Breast Cancer: The Facts

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of a group of cells, which leads to the formation of a tumour. According to World Health Organisation statistics, cancer is the second biggest killer disease in the world, and in the UK breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. There has been almost a 5% increase in the number of diagnosed cases of breast cancer in the last ten years alone, and a huge amount of research is currently being carried out to find ways of successfully treating the disease.

The earlier the cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance of recovery will be. An estimated 75% of people diagnosed with breast cancer now survive for more than 20 years after diagnosis and treatment.

Mammography is now used as a screening procedure for women with suspected breast cancer. Mammography uses a low level of X rays to scan the breast for cancerous masses.

 Image courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_080922-N-2688M-004_Lead_Mammography_Technologist_Carmen_Waters_assists_a_patient.jpg Image is in the public domain and is thus free of copyright restrictions.

Anatomy of the Breast

 The breasts are composed of:

• lobules, which contain glandular tissue which are responsible for the production of milk
• milk ducts, which carry the milk from the lobules where it is produced to the nipple for breastfeeding
• fatty tissue
• connective tissue
• blood vessels
• nerves

 If cancer cells develop in ducts or lobules of the breast, the cells grow and divide in an uncontrollable way and a tumour can form. 9/10 cases of breast cancer are first diagnosed by the patient feeling a lump in their breast- this is the collection of cancerous cells and surrounding tissue.

Image courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illu_breast_anatomy.jpg Image is in the public domain and is thus free from copyright restrictions

Banner image courtesy of Wiki Commons. Image is in the public domain and is thus free of copyright restrictions.