BREAST CANCER AND YOUR GENES

Types

• Angiosarcoma
• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
• Inflammatory breast cancer
• Invasive lobular carcinoma
• Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
• Male breast cancer
• Paget’s disease of the breast
• Recurrent breast cancer

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:

• A breast mass or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
• Change in the size, shape or symmetry of the breast
• Changes to the skin over the breast, for instance, dimpling
• Changes in the areola or nipple
• Scaling, crusting or scraping of the pigmented zone of skin including the (areola) or breast skin

Diagnosis

Tests used to diagnose breast cancer include:

Breast exam. Your doctor will check both of your breasts and lymph nodes in your armpit, feeling for any knots or different irregularities.

Mammogram. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. Mammograms are used to screen for breast cancer development.

Breast ultrasound. Ultrasound uses sound waves to convey images of structures inside the body.

Removing a sample of breast cells for testing (biopsy). A biopsy is a primary way to diagnose breast cancer.

Treatment

Your doctor chooses your treatment options depending on your kind of breast cancer, its stage and grade, size, and whether the cells are sensitive to hormones.

Most women experience recovery from additional treatment before or after surgery, such as chemotherapy, hormone treatment or radiation.