What is Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a disease that affects over 200,000 women in the United States each year. Men are also affected, though at a smaller rate.Breast cancer occurs when cancerous cells develop in the tissues of the breast. To understand breast cancer better, knowing the anatomy of the breast is essential.
Anatomy of the Breast
The femaile breast is made up of
- lobules- milk producing glands
- stroma- fatty tissue and connective tissue that surrounds the lubules and ducts and, blood and lymphatic vessels
- ducts- passageways for milk to travel from the lobules to the nipple
What part of the breast does breast cancer develop?
Most cases of breast cancer originate in the cells that line the ducts. This would be a type of ductal breast cancer. Other times, cancerous cells will develop in the lobules, a type of lobular breast cancer. Cancer can also develop in other tissues of the breast as well.
