Worldwide, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It can also occur in men, but it is very rare. The causes of the cancer are not fully understood, but various risk factors have been identified.
The principal one is age: the risk of developing it increases with age, and most cases occur in women over 50. Other risk factors include: a family history of the disease; having started periods at an early age or having a late menopause; not having had children or having them late in life; being overweight; moderate to heavy alcohol intake; using the combined oral contraceptive pill; and hormone replacement therapy. In some cases, breast cancer may be linked to inherited genes, including the genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2.
The first noticeable symptom of breast cancer is often a painless lump. Other symptoms include a change in breast size or shape; a lump or swelling in the armpit; dimpling of the skin over the breast lump; a rash around the nipple; a change in the appearance of the nipple, such as becoming inverted (retracted inward); and an unusual nipple discharge, which may contain blood.
The cancer may spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs. Possible treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In some cases, hormone therapy or biological therapy medication may also be used. Mammography screening to detect breast cancer early is available in some countries.

Othere related diseases

GENITAL HERPES
Genital herpes is caused by infection with the herpes simplex virus. The virus is spread by close contact with the skin or moist membranes.
A mother may a...

GENITAL WARTS
Genital warts are small, fleshy growths on or around the genitals or anal area caused by infection with certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus...

GONORRHEA
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It can also be transmitted from a mother to her baby during birth. Go...

GYNECOMASTIA
Gynecomastia is a noncancerous enlargement of one or both breasts in men or boys. It is often due to an excess of the female hormone estrogen (which is also pro...

HYDROCELE
A hydrocele is a soft, painless swelling in the scrotum that is due to a build-up of fluid in the double-layered membrane that partially surrounds each testis. ...

KIDNEY CANCER
Most kidney cancers originate within the kidney itself; only rarely are they due to the spread of cancer from elsewhere in the body. There are often no symptoms...

KIDNEY CYSTS
Simple kidney cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop in the outer layer of the kidney. They can occur singly or multiply, and one or both kidneys may be a...

KIDNEY FAILURE
In kidney failure, the kidneys do not function normally and there is a build-up of waste products and water in the body, disrupting the body’s chemical balanc...