Breast cancer is the growing out of control of the abnormal cells in one or both breasts. The abnormal cells can invade nearby tissues and form a mass known as malignant tumor. The cancer cells can metastasize i.e. spread to lymph nodes and other parts of the body.

Many women consider breast cancer as their worst fear. However, great strides have been made forward toward the treatment of breast cancer by the experts. If the breast cancer is found early, it can mostly be cured and the removal of the breast is not always necessary.

Diagnosis:

When you visit a doctor for a regular physical exam, he/she may check your breast also to look for any changes such as lumps etc. If he/she does not do that, you should request the checkup to him/her in case you are in doubt. Your doctor may recommend that you have a mammogram (an X-ray of the breast). With the help of a mammogram a lump that is too small to be felt is often found. A woman can sometimes find a lump during a breast self-exam as well.

Your doctor may go for biopsy, the taking of a sample of your breast cells, if he/she or you report a lump or other changes in your breast. Your doctor can also choose to do it by putting a needle into the lump for taking out some tissue or fluid. This is called a needle biopsy. The whole lump can be taken out by a surgeon through a small cut in your breast in other cases. Your doctor can know if you have the cancer and what type of cancer it is with the help of the results of the biopsy.