Out of all known cancers, no other cancer is diagnosed as often as breast cancer. While most cases are found in women beyond the age of 50, breast cancer can occur at any age and in any biological sex. Luckily, it is also a form of cancer that can often be detected in its early stages by getting regular screenings and conducting self-checks, in which case the prognosis is usually very good.

In our guide, we’d like to give you an overview of what types of breast cancer there are, how to spot its early signs and symptoms, what to do if you suspect you might have breast cancer, and what treatment methods are available once you or a loved one have been diagnosed.

We would also like to invite you to join our free online community, where you can become part of a friendly, welcoming network of fellow health enthusiasts, scientists, and patients to learn even more about breast cancer and share your personal experiences of living with it.

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is an umbrella term for several types of cancer originating in the breast, for example in the milk ducts or glands, or in the nipple. While it is most common in biological females, about 1% of cases are found in biological men.

Types of breast cancer

Breast cancer can take various forms – the most common, however originate in the milk ducts or milk glands (lobules). Rarer forms can form in the nipples, the connective tissue, and other parts of the breast. In the following, we’ll take a look at the most common types of breast cancer.

Ductal carcinoma

A breast cancer tumour originating in the milk ducts is called a ductal carcinoma. Ductal carcinomas can be invasive and non-invasive (also called ‘in situ’). While non-invasive ductal carcinomas are contained within the milk ducts and haven’t spread anywhere else, invasive ductal carcinomas have spread outside the ducts and into the surrounding tissue. Invasive ductal carcinomas are the most common type of breast cancer, amounting to 80% of all cases.

Lobular carcinoma

Lobular carcinomas develop in the lobules of the breast, the glands where milk is produced. Just like the ductal carcinoma, it can be non-invasive (‘in situ’) and hence contained within the lobule where it grew, or invasive, meaning it has already spread into the surrounding tissue.

Paget’s disease

Paget’s disease is a rare type of breast cancer that grows in the nipple or areola area around it. While it is rare itself, it is often a secondary form of breast cancer that signals another, more common type of breast cancer already present in the breast.

Inflammatory breast cancer

Sometimes, cancerous growth can also form in the blood or lymph vessels of the breast, block them, and subsequently lead to inflammation. This rare but aggressive form of breast cancer is called inflammatory breast cancer.

Breast cancer symptoms

Depending on the type of breast cancer, there are several early signs and symptoms to look out for:

• lumps in the breast or armpit
• swelling in a part of or in the entire breast
• changes in the look or position of the nipple, especially a newly inverted nipple
• changes in the size or shape of the breast
• skin irritation or changes in skin structure such as redness, scaliness/flakiness, new dimples, itching, or pain
• discharge that isn’t breast milk

If you notice any of these signs, please contact your doctor for a professional check-up as soon as possible.

Facing any medical condition without helpful support can be very difficult – fortunately, by joining Carecircle.org you won’t have to. By becoming a part of our free, international community you’ll be able to share your experiences, ask fellow patients for advice, comment on their posts and threads, and gain insights into how to find hope and control.

Breast cancer stages

Breast cancer develops in four stages that reflect the general cancer stages, plus a stage 0 that refers to all non-invasive types of breast cancer, mainly non-invasive ductal carcinoma or non-invasive lobular carcinoma (also known as ductal carcinoma in situ and lobular carcinoma in situ).

Stages 1-4 of breast cancer are characterized as follows:

Stage I breast cancer

In stage I, there is either one tumour no larger than 2cm in diameter, while the cancer has not spread outside the breast or into lymph nodes, or there are small cancerous cells measuring between 0.2 and 2mm in diameter in the lymph nodes, potentially but not necessarily accompanied by and additional tumour in the breast no larger than 2cm in diameter.

Stage II breast cancer

At stage II, the tumour has either grown to 2-5cm in diameter and/or has spread to either the axillary lymph nodes or the lymph nodes along the breastbone. Alternatively, it may have grown past 5cm in diameter but not spread to any lymph nodes.

Stage III breast cancer

In stage III, cancer has either spread or grown even further. For this stage, it will now measure more than 5cm in diameter and will have spread to the lymph nodes. It could also still be smaller than 5cm in diameter but have spread to a significant number of lymph nodes close to but outside the actual breast (axillary lymph nodes or lymph nodes along the breastbone) or to the chest wall/skin of the breast.

Stage IV breast cancer

Stage IV is the final and most severe stage of breast cancer. In this stage, the cancer will have spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes into other organs, most commonly the lungs, liver, brain, bones, or more distant lymph nodes.

What causes breast cancer

While the exact reasons why breast cancer develops are currently unknown, there are several potential risk factors. The most common among them include:

• sex: while biological males can also be affected and, in fact, account for 1% of all diagnosed breast cancer patients, 99% of cases occur in biological females.
• genetic disposition: if you or someone in your family has had breast or ovary cancer, you have a higher risk of getting breast cancer again/yourself. Certain genes, especially BRCA1 and BRCA2, have also been linked to a higher risk for breast cancer.
• age: the older you are, the higher your risk for breast cancer, especially if you are past the age of 50.
• getting our period early, going into menopause later, giving birth later in life, or not having kids at all
• consuming alcohol
• lack of exercise
• smoking
• having dense breasts; denser breasts also make it harder to spot cancerous growths during screenings
• exposure to radiation or undergoing radiation therapy in the upper body
• undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• previous exposure to the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES)

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

If you suspect you might have breast cancer, your doctor will order several screenings to determine whether it actually is cancer. First, they will typically palpitate and gently probe your breast to see if anything you might have felt indeed could be a tumour, or if any other signs you spotted could point to breast cancer.

After this, depending on where the cancer is suspected, you might be sent to further screenings, most commonly a mammography (an x-ray of your breasts), ultrasound exams, a CT, or an MRI. If anything shows up on these, part of the affected tissue will be taken (biopsy) and examined to finally determine if it’s breast cancer or not.

What to do if you have breast cancer?

Breast cancer, in all stages, is a serious condition that needs immediate medical attention with the goal to remove the cancerous tissue. Your doctor will determine which treatments are most suitable for you and will discuss any further proceedings with you.

To share the burden of living through your breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, you can also rely on fellow patients who know exactly what you’re going through by joining Carecircle.org. Our friendly, free community is the perfect place to engage with other people’s posts about breast cancer, talk about your own experiences, and find helpful advice, inspiring stories, and a feeling of control by interacting with other members.

How is breast cancer treated?

The most common form of treatment for breast cancer is surgery to remove any cancerous tissue, including tumours and affected lymph nodes. For this, only the affected tissue or – in more severe cases – the entire breast (mastectomy) or even both breasts (double mastectomy) could be removed.

Apart from surgery, though, you might also have to undergo other treatments, such as chemotherapy, endocrine, or radiation therapy – either before further surgery to first shrink down the tumour, or after surgery to fight whatever cancerous cells might remain and prevent cancer from coming back.

In some cases, especially if cancer has already spread, chemotherapy might be the sole treatment, aiming at fighting the cancer in multiple parts of your body at once.

Finally, you might undergo additional treatments, for example, pain therapy, palliative therapy in terminal stages of breast cancer, or psychotherapy to support you in dealing with the emotional stress of receiving a cancer diagnosis.

What is the prognosis and survival rate for breast cancer?

The general prognosis for breast cancer patients is very good. Depending on the type of breast cancer you have and how early it was detected, the 5-year relative survival rate may be up to 99%, which means that 5 years after the diagnosis, up to 99% of people are still alive. The average 5-year relative survival rate for all types of breast cancer is still 90%, meaning that 9 out of 10 people with breast cancer survive for at least 5 years after the diagnosis.

Breast cancer FAQs

If you’re looking for quick answers to some of your most pressing questions about breast cancer, you’ve come to the right place.

What’s the major cause of breast cancer almost everyone ignores

There are no currently known specific causes for breast cancer, but quite a few proven risk factors. Apart from those you can’t influence, such as your biological sex and age, the biggest risk factor you can influence is drinking alcohol. Even reducing the amount you drink can noticeably lower the probability of developing breast cancer.

What does breast cancer look like?

What breast cancer looks like greatly depends on the type of breast cancer. Things to look out for are lumps and bumps, any obvious changes in the shape, size, or condition of the breast as a whole, the nipples, or the skin on your breasts, as well as persistent breast pain.

How to check for breast cancer?

Regular self-checks and medical screenings, especially if you’re past age 40, are crucial to detecting breast cancer as early as possible. To self-check, look for possible signs and symptoms (see previous question or list above) by visually examining and gently palpitating your breasts.

What does a breast cancer lump feel like to touch?

Cancer lumps are usually hard and immovable, but they don’t have to be. If you notice any new lumps in your breasts, see a doctor as soon as possible.

What is secondary breast cancer?

Secondary breast cancer is breast cancer that grows as the result of other cancers spreading to your breasts. It’s also called metastatic cancer (metastasis).

At what age can you get breast cancer?

Breast cancer may occur at any age; most cases, however, are diagnosed in women aged 50 or older.

If you’re looking for a friendly, welcoming, positive community where you can post, comment, or react to other people facing the same health challenges as yourself and where your voice truly matters, feel free to join us at Carecircle.org. Signing up is simple and free.

Breast cancer resources

• Cancer Research UK
• NHS UK
• CDC
• Cancer.org
• Breastcancer.org
• Breast Cancer Now

No matter what your biological sex, age, or family history, the most important way to make sure to catch breast cancer as early as possible is regular check-ups – by your doctor as well as yourself at home.

Guide Sources

• Cancer Research UK
• NHS UK
• CDC
• Cancer.org
• Breastcancer.org
• Breast Cancer Now