According to most sources, breast cancer is ‘cancer of the breast tissue’. Not very helpful. But digging a little deeper makes the answer clear. Cancer is a malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal or uncontrolled cell division. Normal cells become misshapen and grow too rapidly. The result is a mass or lump that continues to grow and may spread.

Not all lumps are cancerous. Most are benign. They reach a certain size and level off. They may be soft and fluid filled, like cysts. Or they may be firm like fibroadenomas, which also are benign since they don’t grow and spread. Or, they may simply be scar tissue or hardened fat.

But a true cancer in breast tissues is malignant and serious. Nearly 90% are a type known as ductal carcinoma (sometimes called DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ). Somewhat less than 10% of the rest are lobular carcinomas (LCIS). In both cases lumps may appear as a thickening in some part of the breast, or even in the armpit. Lymph nodes are located there and sometimes play a role in the development of the disease.

The American College of Physicians recommends self-examination beginning around age 20 and regular mammograms after age 40. 

Though one shouldn’t become alarmed at every possible change, an alteration of the size or shape of the breast after maturity is one sign to look for. Fluid may leak from the nipple that doesn’t resemble milk. In cases of cancer, it’s typically a type of pus, indicating infection.

The nipple or areola (the darkened skin around the nipple) can also change size or shape.

Breast cancer develops through identifiable stages which mark out the progression of the disease.

Stage 0 is when the condition first occurs, Stage I exists when the tumor is less than 2cm thick and hasn’t spread. By Stage II the tumor is between 2-5cm thick and there may be other areas affected. Once the disease reaches Stage III it has penetrated the chest wall. By that level, treatment becomes very difficult and the survival rate is correspondingly low.

Stage IV is the most serious. At this point the cancer has, as it’s called, metastasized. That means the cancer has spread and that it has formed secondary tumors which resemble the initial growth. Such cancers are very often fatal.

Because of these stages, and the increasing health consequences at each level, seeking diagnosis and treatment early is imperative. A simple lumpectomy may well cure the condition completely. If it progresses to the point that chemotherapy or radiation treatments are called for, the odds of recover are much lower and the cure is often as bad as the disease.

Fortunately, enormous progress has been made over the past 40 years. The latest equipment allows for much better diagnosis. Treatments have evolved to make the cure less painful and more certain.

Though any stage is a concern, there is an over 95% five-year survival rate for those that are identified and treated by Stage I. Improve your odds by careful monitoring and seeking early diagnosis.

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No area of oncology is more complex and controversial than the relationship of cancer and diet. Everyone would like to believe that there is some diet which can substantially affect the likelihood of cancer, or better still to cure it once contracted. But to date, the evidence of the effect of diet is unclear and often inconsistent.

All reputable sources agree that no diet outright cures cancer. Nor is there strong evidence to support the view that any particular diet prevents contracting it. But there are many studies that suggest that occurrence, recurrence and survivability may be affected by the foods we choose.

Though far from certain, many studies examined by researchers at Cornell University were able to correlate lower death rates – an increased five or ten year survivability, with certain dietary choices.

In one study examined (the Nurses Health Study), 1,982 women who had already developed breast cancer were followed for an average of 13 years. Over 1,200 had cancers that had not metastasized (spreading of a primary tumor to other areas producing secondary tumors of the same type). Survival rates of cancer patients whose disease has spread are known to be much lower (21% five-year survival, as contrasted to 86% for those whose cancer has not metastasized).

Some in the first group ate larger amounts of poultry and fish, containing protein and omega-3 fatty acids. They had significantly lower risk of death than women in the group who did not consume as much. Further, women who ate large amounts of hydrogenated oils had a significantly higher death rate.

Another study was carried out by the National Cancer Institute of more than 2,400 individuals. A subset, 975 women, who had contracted breast cancer consumed a low fat diet (33.3g per day) for five years. Another 1,462 consumed 51.3 g per day. The low fat group experienced a 42% reduction in recurrence.

The difficulty with all these studies is they are looking only at associations, not causation. It’s unclear from the data what is relevant. Do these dietary choices reflect only the fact that women who focus on maintaining a healthy diet are making healthier lifestyle choices overall? Or, are the foods themselves actually helpful or harmful, and to what degree?

As with many studies involving fruits and vegetables, the answer is unclear. Apart from those which contain antioxidants, any beneficial effect is simply not known with confidence. In this case, however, the evidence is strong that foods high in antioxidants do help reduce the chances of contracting breast cancer.

Free radicals in the blood stream are ionized atoms that are known to be able to harm cells. Antioxidants ‘gobble them up’ – reduce the amount by combining with the free radicals, rendering them harmless.

But fat studies are less clear. The leading theory says, since high estrogen levels are known to highly correlate with higher breast cancer risk, and fat efficiently stores estrogen, then lowering fat lowers the risk.

The flawed conclusion that is sometimes drawn however is the belief that eating fat makes you fat. But it isn’t the consumption of fat that causes higher body fat, per se. Eating more calories than are used causes the body to store the excess in fat, leading to a higher body fat percentage. And, fat contains more calories per unit weight than other foods. The route is indirect.

Despite difficult to interpret or incomplete evidence, there is one thing all experts can readily agree on: maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle are wise choices. Whether they lower the risk of contracting breast cancer or not, for the 1 in 12 women who will get it sometime in their life, being in optimal health helps combat it before, during and after.

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Though still an area of active research, many lifestyle and environmental risk factors for breast cancer have been identified. Fortunately, almost all of them are controllable by an individual seeking to optimize his or her health. Yes, men get breast cancer, too, at about 1/133 the rate of women.

Women who have had no children prior to age 30 are at a slightly higher risk. The cause of the increase is likely to be twofold: the number of menstrual periods experienced and the related factor of the amount of estrogen in the body. Hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, play a role in cell growth and cancer is a condition in which cells grow in abnormal shapes and numbers.

Multiple pregnancies before age 30 lowers the risk of breast cancer. But pregnancy itself carries some risk too, even in a modern medical setting. Offsetting the risk of breast cancer by this method should therefore be low on anyone’s list. But for those who intend to bear children anyway, it’s comforting to know about this not inconsequential side benefit.

Incidentally, the jury is still out on the relative cancer risk of taking oral contraceptives. Women who have ceased using birth control for more than ten years show no increased risk. Since most women who contract the condition don’t get breast cancer until their 50s or later, it’s difficult to isolate the contribution.

Diet is a more direct contributor, but here again research is ongoing and the final answer is far from clear. What is known, however, is that a healthy diet in general is a factor. Obesity almost certainly raises the risk of breast cancer since fat cells store estrogen. They also produce a small amount on their own, though most is generated by the ovaries.

But the exact contribution of diet isn’t known. It was popular for a while to assert that a high fiber diet was almost a preventative. The research doesn’t support that notion, but a high fiber diet is undoubtedly healthy for a number of reasons. Even if diet doesn’t prevent the onset of breast cancer, general good health is extremely helpful when it comes to any kind of treatment and diet is a major part of that effort.

Along with diet, age and body type-appropriate exercise is a major contributor to good overall health. An hour a day of moderate activity is a major factor in keeping muscles toned and the body in overall good shape. Exactly how much this helps reduce the risk of breast cancer is unknown, but one study correlated a 1-2 hour brisk walk per week with an 18% lower risk.

Surprisingly, there are several factors commonly suspected to increase breast cancer risk that are not supported by contemporary research findings, according to the American Cancer society. Smoking is one of them. No link has been found between cigarette smoking and breast cancer. Lung cancer, of course, is another story. Environmental pollutants in general have not been correlated with breast cancer.

But since these are clearly not healthy lifestyle choices, the goal of optimizing overall well-being would weigh against them.

Alcohol in moderation is healthy. But heavy use of alcohol is definitely correlated with increased risk of breast cancer. The risk increases by about 10% for every daily drink of hard alcohol consumed. And since it also damages the liver and contributes to overall poor health, heavy drinking is an unwise choice.

Maintain a good attitude and a good health program and your odds of breast cancer will be as low as you can make them.

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According to official figures, only between 5-10% of breast cancer is caused by genetic influences. But even though the percentage is relatively low, the numbers are high enough to warrant many women and men seeking regular checkups. Yes, men get breast cancer, too. Only about 0.7% as often as women, but it does occur, killing about 12,000 men per year.

So, simply being female increases the odds of breast cancer relative to men by 133:1. One leading theory indicates that the most likely cause is the substantially higher percentage of estrogen and progesterone in females. These hormones play a role in cell growth and appear to be involved when that growth occurs uncontrollably, as in breast cancer.

One genetic factor that may not seem genetic at first blush is the increased risk that comes with aging. Growing older, at what rate and in what way, is heavily influenced by genetics. Genetics determines the kind of physiology we have and that in turn plays a prominent role in aging, as researchers in the field are finding out.

About 17% of invasive breast cancers occur in women in their 40s. But, a whopping 78% of those who contract the disease are in their 50s or older. That shouldn’t be surprising by now. It’s commonplace to observe that cancers are more likely the older one gets. Take care not to turn the statement around, though. It’s not correct to say that 78% of women 50 or older get breast cancer. In fact, the number is about 1 in 12 or only 8%.

One major genetic risk factor, though, doesn’t come from normal genes, but from gene mutations. The most common mutations are labeled BRCA1 and BRCA2. The genes affected participate in making proteins that prevent cells from growing abnormally. Mutations or changes in them alter that ability, opening the gate to increasing the odds of breast cancer. According to some studies, having the mutation puts the odds of developing breast cancer at up to 80%.

Those mutations are almost always inherited, not produced by environmental, diet or other controllable factors. Women who have a mother who have had breast cancer are therefore at higher risk for developing the condition themselves. Though, obviously, women don’t inherit genes from a sister, having a sibling that has contracted breast cancer is an indicator of increased risk.

Another gene mutation that may play a role is the ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutation), involving a gene which plays a role in repairing DNA strands. Breast cancer risk is doubled when yet another, the CHEK-2 gene, mutates. Mutations in a gene called the p53 increase the odds, since it works to suppress tumor growth. Fortunately, these are all fairly low likelihood occurrences.

Until gene therapy becomes more advanced, there’s nothing a woman or man can do to alter the genetic endowment they’ve received. But knowing the risk factors can provide information that is helpful in prompting diagnosis. Knowing you have a family history that contains an individual with Cowden Syndrome, for example, provides incentive to seek early and frequent checkups.

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Medical professionals now have an extensive array of tools at their disposal to make diagnosis of breast cancer more reliable, especially in the early stages. That’s great news, since it considerably increases the odds of keeping breast cancer down to the level of ’serious but not permanently scarring or life-threatening’.

Diagnosis will usually start with a clinical exam. The physician will perform a hands-on breast examination similar to the self-exam that is recommended for all women over age 19. Cancerous lumps generally feel harder and less mobile than benign cysts. Cancer tumors are frequently irregular while non-cancerous lumps tend to be round. A trained professional can often tell the difference.

A mammogram will help confirm the diagnosis. Modern digital mammograms are often computer assisted. Detection of tumors is aided by complex algorithms that do a good job of differentiating suspect image sections. This new tool greatly enhances the ability to eliminate false positives and to detect smaller, less obvious problems in the early stage of development.

Ultrasound is another modern tool that has been improved since its introduction. They’re excellent at helping to distinguish between a benign cyst and a cancer tumor. Since cysts are harmless, fluid-filled sacs they react to sound waves differently than do the harder, denser cancer cells.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is another diagnostic tool coming to be used more and more often. Years ago, insurance companies would never pay for this highly expensive test. But as costs have come down and coverage has expanded, it’s more common. As a powerful magnetic field is swept over the breast, it excites molecules in a way that is harmless but produces distinctive effects. That allows professionals to use images generated by MRI to detect very small anomalies.

When other tests suggest that a closer look is warranted, a biopsy is often performed. Some may be as simple as a fine-needle aspiration. A small amount of fluid is removed via a needle from the detected breast lump. That fluid can be examined for cells that are associated with or constitute cancer.

A deeper or core biopsy may be called for in certain cases. That too uses a needle, but one that’s thicker and removes tissue. Still more tissue is removed in a surgical biopsy. The sample is then examined by an oncologist for the presence of cancer cells.

A new test developed at John Hopkins offers promise for even more accurate early diagnosis. Called a QM-MSP (quantitative multiplex methylation-specific PCR), it relies on fluid drawn from the breast. That fluid is then chemically analyzed. When abnormally high levels of certain molecules are detected it indicates the presence of cancer cells. Some studies suggest that clusters with as few as 50 cancer cells can be detected in this way. It was able to detect cancer in 84% of breast tumor samples used.

With modern tests and techniques, diagnosis can be done early and with far greater reliability than in the past. That’s key to treating breast cancer at the earliest possible stage. That greatly improves the odds of keeping it from becoming a more serious matter than it has to be.

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Overall, about 1 in 12 women will contract breast cancer at some age, with the odds higher later in life. But thanks to modern medicine, many breast cancers can be successfully treated with only minor impact. However, the success of that treatment depends critically on early detection, and the earlier the better. One simple way to up the odds of discovery is to perform a regular breast self examination.

The goal of breast self examination is to detect changes which might signal a condition worth investigating more closely, either with a professional clinical exam, mammogram or other diagnostic aid. Those changes might indicate an abnormality. But to judge what’s abnormal, it’s essential to know what constitutes normal. That varies from individual to individual, though there are commonalities.

The first element to a proper self-exam is to know what your own breasts feel and look like in general. Every aspect of the body changes in subtle ways on a regular basis. During the menstrual cycle those changes may be exaggerated. Breasts can become enlarged or more sensitive. Start your self-exam a few days after your period every month so it becomes a habit. For post-menopausal women, choose the same day every month to perform the exam.

Stand in front of a mirror unclothed and make a visual inspection. Look for changes in the size of only one breast. Normal menstrual cycles and other hormonally related variation will usually affect both the same. Look for any changes in size or color of the nipple or areola (the darker skin around the nipple). Note any wrinkling or ‘orange peel’ appearance that is not due to cold temperature. Most areola are round. Look for any lack of symmetry.

Squeeze a nipple gently and note any fluid that comes out. Some lactation is normal in some women. But yellowish, pus-like fluid is a reason to call your physician for a closer look. It may be a simple infection or it could be an early sign of a developing tumor. Repeat the procedure for the other nipple.

Continue to look for any such tumors by feeling carefully over the surface of the entire breast with the arms lowered. Take in not just the surface from the breastbone to side, but up toward the armpit as well. Press firmly with the finger pads and move the hand slowly, feeling for any thickening or lumps.

Not all lumps are cancerous. In fact, most are not. A lump may be a simple cyst, a fluid-filled sac of tissue. Often they are round and can be moved slightly. These are benign, though you may want to have them removed anyway. Some will fade spontaneously over time.

Cancerous lumps tend to be harder and less regular in shape. They are frequently attached to breast tissue. Not all hard lumps are cancerous either, so don’t be unduly alarmed. Many are just what are called fibroadenomas, a benign clump of cells. Professional tests are required in order to know for sure.

Be particularly aware of any lumps which change in size. Cancer is a malignant, uncontrolled growth of cells in tissue. As such, cancer tumors don’t remain static but increase in size and, later, may spread to other parts of the body.

Continue the tactile exam by raising the arms overhead and applying pressure all the way from the breastbone up to the armpit again. Repeat for the other side and breast.

Perform the procedure again while lying down, first with the arms lowered, then raised overhead. Again try to feel any changes, especially tissue which has become hard. The procedure can be repeated in the shower in order to lower friction on the skin, but it can sometimes be difficult to find changes or lumps with water beating on your skin. Try baby oil instead.

Any woman over age 20 should be performing regular breast self-exams, while those over 40 should get a mammogram at least annually.

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There are a variety of approaches and each case is unique. Consultation with a physician is required in order to select the one that is right for you.

Breast implants are one commonly chosen option. Today, these are usually saline filled bags with a silicon outer shell. They are placed in front of the chest wall muscles under the skin covering the breast area.

In years past, silicon filled implants were more typical. There was a concern for the possibility of silicon leaking into the body and causing immune system problems. But the FDA recently announced, after years of careful study, that there was little basis for worry and silicon breast implants are now legal again. Some prefer them for their different behavior.

In some cases, reconstruction is done during the mastectomy. In others, physicians recommend a waiting period to allow the body to heal before any further surgery. Each case is individual and can only be decided on its own merits.

Typically, though, two-stage delayed reconstruction is performed if the skin and chest wall tissues are flat. An implant, called a tissue expander that functions like a balloon under the tissue, is placed beneath the muscle. The surgeon then injects saline in stages over a period of time to gradually fill the sac. In some instances, the expander itself becomes the implant. In other cases, in a later procedure, the expander is removed and replaced with a permanent implant.

Tissue flap procedures are another category of breast surgery. These use skin from the stomach, the thighs or other area as part of the total process.

TRAM (transverse rectus abdominis muscle flap) is one of the most common types, which uses tissue from the lower abdominal wall. A pedicle flap leaves the tissue attached to the original blood supply and stretches the tissue up the breast area. A free flap procedure removes the tissue entirely, along with muscles, fat, and blood vessels and reattaches them to blood vessels under the chest.

Another, about equally common, uses tissue from the upper back. A flap is moved in front of the chest wall to create a pocket. A breast implant is then inserted into the pocket. There are other procedures as well, such as one that uses gluteal muscle tissue.

In each case, nipple and/or areola reconstruction may or may not be part of the total surgery. It may be done later or not at all. Rarely is the nipple from the original breast used as a replacement out of concern that it may regenerate the cancer.

Reconstructive surgery is not entirely without risks, of course.

There can be the usual surgical complications, such as infection or scarring, such as capsular contracture in which scar tissue forms around the implant. Breast implants may not last a lifetime, depending on individual circumstances, such as age. Replacing them may require an additional surgery later in life. The final result may or may not be what the patient was expecting. Only a full consultation with a physician can provide a realistic assessment of likely outcomes.

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Breast cancer remains a serious condition, affecting one in twelve women sometime in their lifetime. But, fortunately, it is no longer typically life threatening or permanently scarring.

Breast cancer, like all cancers, were once very mysterious. While much remains unknown and an area of active research, the disease itself is fairly well understood. The underlying causes are still uncertain in some cases, but the manner in which it spreads and acts is much better known today.

The risks of breast cancer – who gets it, the pros and cons of different treatments, survival rates and more – are also much better quantified.

While many claims are overblown, the effects of diet are becoming clearer. Many questions remain, but low estrogen producing diets and lifestyles are strongly indicated as beneficial. Low fat diets contribute to that as does regular exercise.

Early detection and diagnosis has reached the stage where as few as 50 clumped cancer cells can be identified. Chemical tests for early detection are becoming cheaper and more sophisticated. Ultrasound is becoming more common. Treatments now range from the traditional lumpectomy or mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation to more advanced hormone treatments.

Even with all the innovation, though, self-examination remains one of the best practices. It is in the individual’s control and makes possible ferreting out anything requiring further investigation by more advanced methods. Mammograms remain a low cost, low risk and low discomfort method of detecting tumors.

Recovery is quicker and fewer recurrences are seen, thanks to more precise diagnosis and treatment. Computer aided analysis in the form of digital mammography makes reviewing test results much more accurate than in years past.

Where, tragically, a woman or man has contracted breast cancer and requires surgery, improved reconstructive techniques have lessened the harm. The FDA has recently taken silicon implants off the forbidden list. Implantation and plastic surgery in general have become less onerous. Patients are now often out of the hospital the same day as the surgery.

It’s commonplace today for nearly 100% of those who receive early diagnosis and treatment, while the breast cancer is still in Stage 0 or Stage I, to live longer than five years. Many never have any recurrence at all and are not bothered with breast cancer the rest of their lives.

This once almost invariably fatal disease hasn’t been reduced to the level of a mere annoyance. It remains a serious condition requiring careful consideration of all options. But thanks to modern medicine, while breast cancer once killed almost all its victims, individuals now typically enjoy a cancer free life after treatment.

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About one in twelve women will develop breast cancer sometime in her life. There are numerous risk factors for contracting breast cancer, some within your control and some that are not. Fortunately, for those factors that are in your control, no great sacrifice is required to minimize them.

Diet

Eating a healthy diet is the first, and in many ways the easiest, step. There’s considerable evidence to suggest that diet does alter the odds. While there’s nothing you eat that will produce breast cancer, nor anything you can eat to prevent it, some foods are helpful, others less so.

Since one leading theory indicates that breast cancer is, if not caused by at least encouraged by, free radicals in the blood, eating foods rich in antioxidants is a good idea. Free radicals are charged ions, usually oxygen, that can do damage to cells. Antioxidants chemically combine with these active molecules to render them harmless. There’s ample evidence to suggest that eating foods rich in antioxidants lowers the risk of breast cancer.

Green vegetables are great for this purpose, but any others will also help. Apples, strawberries and other fruits are also beneficial. Red wines in moderation, as well as green teas, are rich in antioxidants.

Exercise

Exercise is another risk factor within your personal control. Along with diet, not only does it help raise the general level of health but it can help  smooth hormone levels and provide other health values. Even if you do contract breast cancer, being in good shape helps you deal with treatments in an optimal way.

Hormones

Estrogen and progesterone are strongly believed by researchers to contribute to the risk of contracting breast cancer (the first in particular). These natural hormones are vital for health, but excessive amounts can occur. They are readily stored in fat tissues and regular exercise helps keep your body fat percentage at the appropriate level. Proper diet helps here, too.

Alcohol

High alcohol consumption has been correlated with increased cancer risk. It has a generally bad effect on health and tends to raise estrogen levels and interfere with the body’s ability to combat antioxidants.

A glass of wine per day is generally beneficial. Even a small drink of hard alcohol can be beneficial. But for every 10g of alcohol consumed per day over long periods, the risk of contracting breast cancer increases by about 10%.

Menstruation

Reducing the number of menstrual cycles correlates with a reduced risk of experiencing breast cancer, since hormone levels are altered. The jury is still out on the contribution to cancer risk, if any, of taking oral contraceptives. So far, no clear cut evidence suggests that long term use is harmful. And new pills that may soon come on the market promise to eliminate menstrual cycles entirely.

Pregnancy, of course, is another way of reducing the risk of breast cancer but it has its own set of risks for other problems, of course. For those who wish to bear children, however, having them before age 30 has been correlated with a lower risk of breast cancer.
While there is no magic bullet, a healthy lifestyle is your best preventative. Even if you do contract the disease, better health gives you a much better chance of detecting and eliminating it early. Those in good health have much better chances of full recovery and long term survival.

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The overall average of five-year survival rate for women who contract breast cancer is around 86% for those whose disease has not metastasized. That means, 86% of the women who contract it survive for at least five years. But even that fairly high number is just an overall average. The numbers are even better for some categories. Those numbers depend on the stage at which the cancer is detected and treated.

Breast cancer, like others, develops in stages. Those stages are lettered and numbered according a now-standard classification of T, N and M and a scale from 0-IV. T indicates tumor size, N spread to lymph nodes and M distant metastasis. Metastasis is spreading of a primary tumor to secondary areas forming tumors of the same type.

TX tumors are those that can not yet be assessed at all. T0 designates a situation in which there’s no evidence of the cancer at all. Tis indicates one that may be of type DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ) or Paget’s disease (a rare form in which the nipple and/or areola is cancerous).

Stage 0 cancers are the earliest of all. In Stage I, tumors are less than 2cm in size and have not spread. Stage II indicates a tumor that is 2-5cm in diameter, and Stage III one larger than 5cm. A Stage IV tumor has become attached to the chest wall and spread to the lymph nodes.

Fortunately, thanks to improved diagnosis and treatment methods, many more breast cancers are caught and eliminated in the very early stages.

For those women and men treated in Stage 0 or I the average five year survival rates are roughly 100%. Yes, men get breast cancer too, albeit at about 1/133 the rate of women. Even Stage II sufferers have a survival rate between 81%-92%. It isn’t until Stage III that the rate dips to 67%. For Stage IV it is approximately 20%.

Of course, many women and men do beat the odds. Even many of those in later stages survive significantly longer than seven years. As diagnostic techniques and treatment methods continue to improve the numbers do as well. As medical knowledge advances, more and more on the lower end of the category move into the upper reaches.

One new diagnostic technique, for example, is QM-MSP (quantitative multiplex methylation-specific PCR). Discovered in 2001, it is a chemical test that uses fluid from the breast. By analyzing chemical tags on certain genes, it’s possible to detect cancer clumps as small as 50 cells with 86% reliability. As it and other innovative methods move into the mainstream, ‘early’ detection becomes ‘earliest possible’ detection. That greatly improves the odds of successful treatment.

Treatments are improving, too. Hormone therapy, targeted radiation, molecule specific drugs and other contemporary techniques constitute the cutting edge, where once there was only cutting.

Though never pleasant, and still a serious condition, breast cancer no longer has to be life threatening or even permanently scarring.

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