Month of Awareness: October

By Isabelle Kang, NPHR Blog Editor In honor of October being national Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here is a quick overview of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death among women worldwide.  1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.  Breast cancer is a disease when malignant cancer cells grow out of control in breast tissue. Typically, it is seen in women but can also occur in men. The cancer starts in the cells of the breast and can spread to other areas of the body through blood vessels and lymph nodes. There are many types of breast cancer, the most common being invasive ductal carcinoma. Early detection is key to improving breast cancer outcomes.  Figure 1. Overview of symptoms of early breast cancer  Symptoms  As seen in Figure 1, breast cancer can present differently from person to person, but the following are the most common symptoms: Lump or mass (especially one that is new, changes in size/shape, causes pain, does not go away after menstruation, or feels hard to touch)  Changes in breast size or shape [...]