Female breast cancer

What is breast cancer?

Breasts contain many glands that are made up of small building blocks known as cells, which produce breast milk after pregnancy. These cells normally divide and grow in an orderly manner. However, sometimes, for reasons still not known, a few of these cells become uncontrolled and continue to divide and grow causing a lump or tumour to be produced.

In some women, this process can take 3 or 4 years or even longer before the lump can be detected.

Breast lumps can be either benign (innocent), which are contained in one area of the breast, or malignant, which means that they consist of cancer cells that can spread to other parts of the body, through either the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a network of tiny glands that helps the body produce cells to fight infection. When the cancer cells spread beyond the breast, these are often referred to as recurrences, secondaries or metastases. Doctors can tell whether or not a breast lump is benign or malignant by taking a small sample from the tumour (called a ‘biopsy’) and looking at the cells under a microscope.

About the breast

A breast is made of lobules, ducts, fatty tissues, blood vessels and lymph vessels. The lobules are glands that make milk; the ducts are tubes that link the lobules to the nipples. The fatty tissue surrounds the lobules and ducts. Lymph vessels carry lymph to the lymph nodes in the underarm, above the collarbone and in the chest. There are also lymph nodes throughout the body.