Knowra Breast cancer Breast cancer Breast cancer is a group of malignant diseases arising in breast tissue. Some tumors invade nearby structures or spread to distant organs through the blood or lymphatic system.
Breast anatomy : The arrangement of ducts, lobules, connective tissue, fat, blood vessels, and lymphatics in the breast. Tumor type and spread depend partly on which breast structures become malignant.
Ductal carcinoma in situ : A noninvasive breast lesion in which abnormal cells remain inside milk ducts. It is a distinct early finding that has not invaded surrounding breast tissue.
Mammography : Breast imaging using low-dose X-rays to detect abnormalities, including cancers not yet causing symptoms. Screening mammography can find breast cancers before a lump is felt.
George Papanicolaou : A Greek-American physician whose cytological methods helped establish screening for cervical cancer. His work belongs to the wider history of cancer screening, though not breast screening itself.
Cancer survival rate : A population statistic estimating the proportion of people with cancer alive after a specified period. Survival statistics describe outcomes but vary with stage, subtype, and population.
Carcinogenesis : The multistep process by which normal cells acquire changes that enable malignant growth. Breast cancer develops as cells accumulate changes that disrupt normal growth controls.
Invasive ductal carcinoma : A breast cancer that begins in a milk duct and grows into surrounding tissue. This is the most common invasive histologic type of breast cancer.
Breast biopsy : A procedure that removes breast tissue for microscopic examination and diagnostic testing. A tissue sample confirms cancer and reveals features that guide treatment.
Bernard Fisher : An American surgeon who led clinical trials that helped establish breast-conserving treatment for early breast cancer. His trials challenged the assumption that radical mastectomy was always necessary.
Lymphedema : Persistent swelling caused by impaired lymphatic drainage, often affecting an arm after cancer treatment. Breast surgery or radiation involving lymph nodes can damage lymphatic drainage.
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