If i have breast cancer will a mammogram hurt?
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Topic Overview
Is this topic for you?
This topic provides information about the initial testing, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. If you are looking for information on breast cancer that has come back or has spread to other parts of the body, see the topic Breast Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both breasts. It is the most common type of cancer in women, but it is often cured when found early. 1, 2
What causes breast cancer?
The exact cause of breast cancer is not known. Some women with breast cancer have genetic risk factors called mutations in BRCA genes. You also have a higher risk of breast cancer if a member of your family, especially your mother, father, or sister, has breast cancer. However, many women who have breast cancer do not have any of these risks. 3
Female hormones and increasing age also play a part. The chances that you will develop breast cancer increase as you grow older. About 1 in every 7 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer if she lives to be 80. 4
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
If your doctor thinks you might have breast cancer, he or she will want to test the abnormal cells in the breast using a procedure called a biopsy. This is sometimes done by inserting a needle into the abnormal area and taking a few sample cells (needle biopsy). At other times the entire suspicious area will be removed through a small incision in your breast. The sample is then examined under a microscope by a pathologist to see if it contains cancer cells.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptom of breast cancer is a painless lump in the breast. However, early breast cancer is often found on a mammogram before a lump can be felt.
Other symptoms of breast cancer may not appear until the cancer is more advanced. These include:
* A thickening in the breast or armpit.
* A change in the size or shape of the breast.
* Changes in the skin of the breast, such as a dimple or skin that looks like orange peel.
* A change in the nipple, such as scaling of the skin, a nipple that turns in, or discharge or bleeding.
* A change in the color or feel of the skin around the nipple (areola).
Many people believe that only women have breast cancer. But, although much less common, about 1% of all breast cancer occurs in adult men. Most men who are diagnosed with breast cancer are older than 65, but the disease can appear in younger men. For this reason, any breast lump in an adult male is considered abnormal. 1, 2
How is it treated?
Treatment options for breast cancer include surgery; the use of high doses of X-rays to destroy cancer cells, called radiation therapy; or the use of powerful medicines to destroy cancer cells, called chemotherapy or hormone therapy. A combination of these treatments is usually used.
Many factors about your breast cancer will help you and your doctor decide which combination of treatments is right for you. Factors that may affect your decision include:
* The size of your breast cancer and whether it has spread to lymph nodes under your arm.
* Whether your breast cancer is sensitive to hormones (estrogen/progesterone receptor status).
* How your breast cancer looks under the microscope (grade).
* Your age, whether you have gone through menopause, and whether you have any other health problems.
* Whether your breast cancer has human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu), a protein that is in part responsible for how certain cancer cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. Breast cancer cells that produce this protein often grow and spread quickly and require more aggressive treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learning about breast cancer:
* What is breast cancer?
* What causes breast cancer?
* How can I prevent breast cancer?
* What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
* What increases my risk for breast cancer?
* When do I need to see my doctor?
Being diagnosed:
* How will my doctor diagnose breast cancer?
* What is a mammogram?
* What is a biopsy?
* What are the types (classifications) of breast cancer?
Getting treatment:
* What types of treatments are available?
* Will I need to take medicines?
* What is radiation therapy?
* Will I need surgery?
* What are clinical trials?
Living with breast cancer:
* How will breast cancer affect my daily life?
* Will I lose my hair?
* What can I do about nausea and vomiting?
* Is cancer treatment painful?
* What will I do if I can't sleep?
* What happens if breast cancer comes back?
if your 12 you're really unlikely to have breast cancer. its normal for your breasts to hurt during puberty so don't worry, (it will probably feel like a hard disk - it just means that they're going to start growing fairly soon) it will soon pass.
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