What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a malignant growth of breast tissue cells, called adenocarcinoma. The normal function of the breast is to produce milk after the birth of a child. The growth of the breast is regulated by female sex hormones. Breast cancer mainly affects older women, 4 out of 5 cases occur in women over 50 years old. Currently women aged between 50 and 70 are screened on the National Breast Cancer Screening Programme; soon it will be extended to women aged 47 to 73.

Incidence and prevalence

It is the commonest cancer in women, 43000 women develop breast cancer each year in the UK. Breast cancer affects 1 woman in 9 over a lifetime. The disease occasionally occurs in men; they have a small amount of breast tissue under the nipple. Most recent figures show that 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will still be living 5 years later; this is one of the best survival rates among the common cancers.

Amended May 2009