Breast cancer
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What is breast cancer?
- Breast cancer grows in the cells of the breast1
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Types of breast cancer
- Ductal carcinoma in situ is the earliest form of breast cancer; the cancer cells are found only in one specific area of the breast, the “ducts”, and have not yet spread to other breast tissue2
- Invasive breast cancer has spread beyond the area in which it started into surrounding breast tissue;2 invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common form of breast cancer2,3
- Invasive lobular breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, and Paget disease of the breast are less common types of breast cancer3
- Secondary or metastatic breast cancer has already spread to other parts of the body, usually via the lymph nodes or the bloodstream3
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Who gets breast cancer?
- Breast cancer is much more common in females, but males get it too;1 breast cancer in males is different to breast cancer in females4
- About 1 in 8 females will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime3
- It mostly affects females aged 50+,3 but also occurs in younger females5
- It is the most common cancer in females worldwide, and is the 2nd most common cancer overall6
- Nearly 1.7 million cases were diagnosed worldwide in 20126
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Screening, detection, and diagnosis
- Mammography can detect breast cancer early3
- Ultrasound is used for further examination7
- MRI might be used to aid diagnosis7
- Diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy, either using a needle or during surgery7
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Patient guidelines
A patient guideline is a document containing information for patients and their families about their disease and the treatment options available to them
Click here to see the European patient guideline on your condition8
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Local support groups
Contacting a support group may help you during diagnosis and treatment and afterwards
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Infographics
Click here for information on the incidence of breast cancer in Europe10
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