Types of Cancer :: What is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.

 

The breast is made up of lobes and ducts . Each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes, which have many smaller sections called lobules . Lobules end in dozens of tiny bulbs that can produce milk. The lobes, lobules, and bulbs are linked by thin tubes called ducts.

Anatomy of the breast, showing lymph nodes and lymph vessels.Mammography of the right breast.Pea, peanut, walnut, and lime show tumor sizes.Inflammatory breast cancer of the left breast showing peau d'orange and inverted nipple. Breast-conserving surgery. Dotted lines show area containing the tumor that is removed and some of the lymph nodes that may be removed.Total mastectomy. Dotted line shows entire breast is removed. Some lymph nodes under the arm may also be removed.Modified radical mastectomy. Dotted line shows entire breast and some lymph nodes are removed. Part of the chest wall muscle may also be removed.
  
Sentinel lymph node biopsy. Radioactive substance and/or blue dye is injected near the tumor (first panel), the injected material is followed visually or with a probe (middle panel), and the first lymph nodes to take up the material are removed and checked for cancer cells (last panel).

 

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