Welcome to The National University Hospital : Breast Cancer & Treatment

	The normal breast tissue varies in size and shape.
	The breasts rest in front of the rib cage.
	The breasts are made up of fatty tissue, milk ducts and lobes.
	The breasts produce milk to feed the baby when the woman is pregnant.

Normal breast

What is breast cancer?

Normal breast cells grows in an orderly and controlled manner

Cancer cells are cells that grow abnormally.

	They are different in shapes and sizes.
	They divide quickly and form a lump.
	They can break away from the original site and spread to other parts (organs) of the body.
	There are different types of breast cancer.

There are two broad types of breast cancer.

Non-invasive Breast cancer

The cancer cells are contained within the milk ducts.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

The ductal cells divide abnormally.

Noninvasive breast cancer

They stay inside the ducts.

However, if left untreated, they can break out of the milk ducts and spread (become invasive).About one third of the cancers diagnosed through mammography are DCIS but non-invasive.

Treatment is usually very effective and no chemotherapy or other adjuvant therapy is required if the breast cancer is diagnosed at this early stage.

Invasive breast cancer

Abnormal cancer cells spread outside the milk ducts or the lobules.

Invasive breast cancer

These abnormal cells first spread to the surrounding breast tissue.

Breast cancer cells move into the lymph nodes or the blood stream.

They then travels to other parts of the body.

The most common parts of the body they travel to are the lungs, liver and bone.

	Breast Cancer
	Diagnosing Breast Cancer
	Treatment Options
	Home Advice After Surgery