Breast Cancer: Patient Education
- Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool
The National Cancer Institute provides an online tool to help you figure out your risk of breast cancer. Find out more»
Overview
- In the United States, there are currently more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors.
- According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, other than skin cancer, and accounts for nearly one in four cancers diagnosed in U.S. women.
- Left untreated, breast cancer cells will spread into the lymph nodes and bloodstream. The spreading cancer may continue to affect other organs, especially the lungs, liver, brain, skin and spinal cord.
- Although breast cancer in men is rare, about 2,000 U.S. men are diagnosed each year with breast cancer that has spread.
- The Scott & White Breast Cancer Clinic sees about 300 new cases of breast cancer each year.
In Our Health Library
Articles
Done Your Breast Self-Exam This Month?
A monthly breast self-examination should include both a visual inspection and a manual inspection while standing, lying down and reclining.
Pick a time of the month that's easy to remember and perform your self-examination at that time. The breast has normal patterns of thickness and lumpiness that change within a monthly period, and a consistently scheduled examination will help differentiate between what is normal from abnormal.
A monthly breast self-exam should not replace the annual examination done by a health professional. Breast awareness may be as helpful as formal self exams as long as women who notice a breast abnormality obtain a professional evaluation promptly.