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Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. More than 55,000 new cases occur in the UK each year and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. It strikes 266,000 people and kills 40,000 each year in the United States. So what causes this and how can it be treated?

What is breast cancer?

It comes from a cancerous cell that develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.

When breast cancer spreads into surrounding tissue it is called ‘invasive’. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells grow beyond the duct or lobule.

Most cases develop over the age of 50, but sometimes younger women can be affected. Although rare, breast cancer can also develop in men.

Staging shows how large the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage, and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.

Cancerous cells are graded from low (i.e. slow growth) to high (rapid growth). Higher-grade cancers are more likely to come back after initial treatment.

What causes breast cancer?

A cancerous tumor starts from an abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or changes certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and proliferates ‘out of control’.

Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors, such as genetics, that can increase the chances.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Although most are noncancerous and are benign fluid-filled cysts, the usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast.

The first place breast cancer usually spreads is the lymph nodes under the armpit. In such a case, a swelling or lump will occur in your armpit.

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

• Initial evaluation: The doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may perform tests that may indicate the possibility of a tumor, such as a mammogram, a special X-ray of the breast tissue.
• Biopsy: A biopsy is the removal of a small sample of tissue from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.

If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, more tests may be needed to evaluate whether it has spread. For example, blood tests, ultrasound scan of the liver or chest x-ray.

How is breast cancer treated?

Treatment options that may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments is used.

• Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or removal of the affected breast, depending on the size of the tumor.
• Radiotherapy: It is a treatment that uses high-energy radiation beams focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used as an adjunct to surgery.
• Chemotherapy: Cancer treatment using anti-cancer drugs that kill cancer cells or prevent them from multiplying.
• Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can encourage cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments that reduce the level of these hormones or prevent them from working are commonly used in breast cancer patients.

How successful is the treatment?

The outlook is best for people diagnosed when the cancer is still small and has not spread. Surgical removal of the tumor at an early stage may give a good chance of cure later.

Routine mammography offered to women aged 50-71 means more breast cancers are diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

For more information, visit breastcancernow.org or call the free helpline on 0808 800 6000.