1. Can I do something to prevent breast cancer?

At this time, there is no known treatment to prevent breast cancer. You can decrease you risk of having breast cancer with some life style changes, and certain medications, but cannot prevent it
Although there is no known "prevention" you can increase your chances of beating breast cancer by leading a healthy lifestyle, performing routine self-breast exams, receiving a clinical breast exam, as recommended by your health care provider, and following guidelines for regular screening mammograms. Remember that early detection of breast cancer is almost 100% curable. . Early detection is the key!

2. Is Breast cancer contagious??? Will I get it if someone in my family has it?

Breast cancer is not contagious. . It results from uncontrolled growth of tumor cells in a person’s body .This doesn’t affect people around them. IF some on who is related to you by blood has breast cancer, it may increase your risk of getting cancer, as you may have inherited the same genetic tendency.

3. I don’t have a family history of breast cancer, should I worry about getting
breast cancer ?


One in eight women will get cancer in their life time. About 80% of them will not have any family history of breast cancer .If you have a family member (mother sister, grandmother, aunt,) with breast cancer, your risk goes up. Having a first degree relative doubles your life time risk of getting breast cancer

4. Is monthly breast exam is the best way to diagnose breast cancer?

Monthly breast self-exams are a good means of early detection especially for women in their teens, 20's and 30's, when annual mammograms are not yet recommended. . Mammography coupled with clinical breast exams cuts the death rate by a third.

5. I am concerned that having a mammogram exposes me to bad radiation and may be bad for my general health

It's just the opposite! Early detection is the key to beating breast cancer and getting an annual mammogram allows your doctor to find a lump when its smaller and better treatment options exist. A mammogram can detect a tumor as tiny as a pinhead—which is up to two years before you or your physician can feel it!

The amount of radiation during your mammogram is minimal. Two low-dose X-rays are taken of each breast during a 20-30 minute procedure. The benefits of a screening mammogram far out-weigh any associated risks. Make sure that the `American College of Radiology (ACR) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) accredit the mammography facility you chose. All of Advocates' sites are accredited.

6. Is it true that if you get cancer you're going to die?

Wrong! Most women who are diagnosed with cancer do not die from the disease. Breast cancer is highly curable for women who are diagnosed early. The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 7.4 million Americans alive today have a history of cancer.

7. I have a lump in my breast and I'm afraid it's cancer. What should I do ?

Answer: Eight out of 10 lumps that women may feel in their breasts, are benign (not cancerous). A benign lump can be a collection of normal or hyperactive breast gland cells, or it may be a water-filled sac (cyst). Most women have lumps in their breast and most lumps are not cancerous. By doing a monthly breast self-exam, at the same time of the month, you will become familiar with your own breasts and how they feel. A lump that is soft, spongy, smooth in shape, and easily moveable is more likely benign. A lump that is hard and immobile may be cancerous. Your physician should examine your breast during a clinical breast examination, and ALL new and unusual lumps should be evaluated as soon as possible. If you notice any changes in your breasts that last over a full month's cycle or that seems to get worse or more obvious over time, tell your doctor.

8. What are the breast cancer risk factors ?

The number one risk factor is being female. While family history, the age at the onset and completion of menstruation, the number of full term pregnancies, and prior history of benign breast biopsies are believed to increase your risk, the majority of breast cancers occur in women with NO risk factors.
Your chances of getting breast cancer increase with age. Additionally, the number of children you have, the age of your first pregnancy, the age of menstruation, family history, and whether or not other family members have had breast cancer, are all possible risk factors.
Lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and stress, may also contribute.

Being female and growing older are the biggest risks for breast cancer. The longer you live, the higher is your risk: The risk of getting breast cancer over the course of an entire lifetime, assuming you live to age 90, is one in 7, with an overall lifetime risk of 14.3%..Risk increases with age because the wear and tear of living increases the risk that a genetic abnormality, or "mistake," will develop that your body doesn't find and fix.

Personal history of breast cancer is a risk factor for breast cancer recurrence or the formation of a new breast cancer. In other words, if you have already been diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk of developing it again is higher than if you had never had the disease. The risk is about 1% per year, so that over a 10-year period, your risk would be about 10%. However, there is medication available to help you reduce that risk.

Family history of breast cancer can have a significant impact on your risk, but don't automatically assume that any case of breast cancer in your family means you are a high-risk candidate. For example, if your grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 75, this does NOT mean your risk of the disease is increased. Your grandmother was most likely just one of the 1 in 15 women in that age bracket who gets breast cancer from the wear and tear of aging.

Other patterns of family history may strongly suggest an inherited gene abnormality that is independent of normal aging, and is associated with a relatively higher risk of breast cancer. The following signs suggest that there may be an inherited gene abnormality in your family (These apply to either your mother's OR your father's side of the family):

• having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer

• having multiple generations of family members affected by breast or ovarian cancer

• having relatives who were diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age (under 50 years old)

• having relatives who had both breasts affected by cancer

You can inherit a breast cancer gene abnormality from your mother OR your father. If one of your parents has a gene abnormality, you have a 50% risk of inheriting the gene from him or her. If you do inherit a gene abnormality, your risk of developing the disease depends on the specific abnormality found, the pattern of its behavior in your family, plus the uniqueness of your own body. The risk of breast cancer in these families ranges greatly—from 40–80% over the course of a lifetime. Keep in mind that breast cancer caused by an inherited gene abnormality is not necessarily any more severe or less treatable than other types of breast cancer.

Certain types of breast cancer gene abnormalities are also associated with a higher risk of ovarian cancer (from 20–60%).

Genetic counseling can help you better define and understand the significance of your own family history.

If you would like to learn more about your risk of breast cancer, you can ask your doctor or nurse to help you record your family history and assess your risk with the National Cancer Institute's Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool

9. Can I get breast cancer by wearing under arm deodorant or from wearing a bra all the time?

Answer: No, you cannot get breast cancer from these things. What you wear does not affect your risk for breast cancer.

10. Can Benign Cysts Become Cancerous?

Cysts are very common and rarely turn into cancers. But it's extremely important to find out whether what you have is just a cyst or something else. If you feel a lump in your breast and you don't know what it is, have your doctor check it. Some women have cyclical lumps i.e. cysts that appear sometime before the menstruation and later shrink or disappear. These are generally harmless and this condition is called fibrocystic disease of breast. Even if you've had cysts in the past, and you find a new lump in your breast, don't assume it's a cyst. If the lump doesn't go away or gets larger, it's important to check it out with a doctor.
Ultrasound is the easiest way to see if a lump is a cyst or not. Your doctor may insert a needle into a lump to see if it's a cyst. In a simple cyst, the needle will drain off the fluid. A pathologist will check the fluid to make sure there are no cancer cells in it. If the lump is made up of breast cells, a tissue sample can be taken out with the needle and checked by a pathologist under the microscope.

In some women, the examination under the microscope may reveal epithelial hyperplasia, which is just a harmless overgrowth of normal breast cells. Another finding, atypical hyperplasia is an increase in breast cells that have started to look different from normal cells. The atypical form is associated with a slightly increased risk of developing breast cancer later on.

Routine mammograms are important for all women, regardless of your history of cysts or other biopsy results.

11. Can I inherit breast cancer from my mother or other women in my family?

Answer: There's no simple answer to this question. Some abnormal genes are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. In families that have an abnormal gene, it can be passed down from a parent to a child.

Only 10% (1 in 10) of women with breast cancer have inherited an abnormal breast cancer gene. Breast cancer due to an inherited gene abnormality tends to happen at an early age (under 40), in multiple relatives, and in one or both breasts (but usually not at the same time). The abnormal gene is also associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Here are a few other important facts to remember:

• Just because your mother or another relative had breast cancer DOES NOT mean you will get breast cancer.

• Most women who get breast cancer DO NOT have breast cancer in the family.

• There are many risk factors for breast cancer, and having it in the family is only one of them.

If you're worried about getting breast cancer, talk to your doctor about your own risk factors.

12. How long must a woman survive after breast cancer to be considered cancer-free or cured?

Answer: According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate for non-metastatic breast cancer (breast cancer that has not spread beyond the breast) is 80%. Newspapers and television usually translate that to, "If you've survived for five years, you're cancer-free."

This is a bit misleading. It's true that during the first five years, the risk of recurrence is highest. But breast cancer can recur even after five years. The important point to know is that the more time passes, the lower the risk of recurrence becomes.

The chance of surviving breast cancer depends on MANY different factors taken together. Lymph node involvement has a strong influence on prognosis. The more lymph nodes involved, the more serious the cancer. Some of the other factors that affect outcome are your general health, the size of the cancer, hormone receptor status, growth rate, tumor grade, and HER2/neu status.

Even with the best information, no one can predict the future. Each of us is unique, and how each woman's body and mind handle breast cancer and treatment is truly a mystery. Many women have beaten the odds, while other women "sure to do well" somehow didn't. You just have to do the best you can, with the best team of doctors and nurses that you can assemble, together with your support network. Then focus on the power of your mind, and you can experience the momentum you need to move through treatment and beyond.
The good news is that more and more women are living longer than five years past breast cancer as a result of early detection, more effective breast cancer therapy, and better overall medical care

13. Why Screening for Breast Cancer is important ?

"A screening test tries to find a disease before there are any symptoms. With breast cancer, there's a misconception that if you feel fine, don't have a lump, and have no family history of breast cancer, you're okay. The truth is that three-quarters of the women in whom we find breast cancer have no risk factors. So screening is important for everyone."—Susan Orel, M.D.
When doctors screen for breast cancer—just as when they screen for any disease—they look at healthy people with no symptoms to see if they can find any early signs of the disease.
Today, three screening tests are routinely done for breast cancer:

• Mammography

• Breast physical exam, done by a doctor

• Breast self-exam

Mammography is one technique doctors use to screen for breast cancer. But it is also used to diagnose breast cancer. Diagnostic mammography is different from screening mammography in that it usually focuses on a specific area of concern, with a mammography technician and a radiologist coordinating to get the images your doctor needs to address your concern.

Breast physical exam

A breast exam by a doctor helps find lumps that women may miss with their own self-exams. While it's true that most lumps are found by women themselves, the abnormality in a breast can be so difficult to feel that only someone with experience would recognize it. Lumps, thickening, asymmetry—changes in your breasts that you may not notice or think are "normal"—may be detected by a doctor who examines many breasts regularly. Studies show that regular self-exam, COMBINED with an annual exam by a doctor, improves the chances of detecting cancer early

14. What are the Signs of breast cancer?

Often there are no outward signs or symptoms of breast cancer that you can see or feel. However, you may feel a lump, an area of thickening or a dimple in the breast. Swelling or redness in the breast or an enlarged underarm lymph node may also be signs of breast cancer. If you notice any of these signs, call your doctor. They may not be cancerous--most breast lumps are benign (noncancerous). A physical exam by your doctor is one way to determine if further testing is needed.
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15. Who develops breast cancer?

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women of all ages and races. The
risk of breast cancer increases as women get older. Over the years, researchers have
dentified certain characteristics, usually called risk factors, which influence a woman's chance
of getting the disease. Still, many women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors other than growing older, and many women with known risk factors do not develop breast cancer. Breast Cancer is primarily a female disease, but approximately 1% of all cases of breast cancer occur in men.

16. Does Hormone replacement therapy or Birth control pills cause
breast cancer ?

The growth of breast tissue depends largely on a woman’s hormones. Recently researchers have focused on hormone containing drugs as one risk factor for breast cancer. Several studies have linked hormone replacement therapy to an increased rate of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
Recent studies have found birth control pills also increase breast cancer risk, but the evidence hasn’t been as strong as that for hormone replacement therapy. Most of the reports depended on women with breast cancer remembering whether they took the pills, when they took them, and for how long.

17. Will the mammogram hurt?

In order to achieve a quality film, compression must be applied to the soft tissues until firmness is reached. This compression may cause a few seconds of discomfort. However, a few women do find the procedure "painful." Some women also experience mild bruising or tenderness during and after the exam. If you find the procedure painful, ask the mammographer to stop and try making adjustments. Remember, the compression only lasts for about 30 seconds, and is the most important feature in acquiring a good image.

18. What do I need to do to prepare for a mammogram?

To prepare for your mammogram you should schedule your appointment after your period when your breasts are least sensitive. You should shower/bathe and NOT apply deodorant/powders/or lotions to the breast and underarm area as they may show up on the films. If your breasts are very sensitive you may wish to take Tylenol/Ibuprofen about one hour prior to your scheduled appointment time. Avoiding caffeine (coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate) for several days prior to your appointment may also reduce the discomfort of the exam. Also, try to wear a two-piece outfit the day of your appointment, for your own convenience and comfort.

If you have had a mammogram at a different facility in the past, make sure to acquire those films for comparison, which will aid in the most accurate reading possible.

19. What's the difference between a screening mammogram and a diagnostic mammogram?

A screening mammogram is the best early detection measure available today. It consists of four films and is performed on a patient who is symptom free with no expected problems. Here's a summary of how the two types of mammograms differ:


Screening Mammograms

• Routine

• Annual or as recommended

• Asymptomatic (no signs of cancer)

• Family history of breast cancer

• Fibrocystic breasts

Diagnostic Mammograms

• Not routine

• As needed

• Symptomatic: breast pain or tenderness; lump or mass; nipple discharge

• Personal history of breast cancer

• Previous abnormal mammogram or abnormal physical exam

• Breast implants

• Previous breast biopsy or surgery

A diagnostic mammogram is performed on a patient with abnormal symptoms, or a prior abnormal screening mammogram. It consists of several different pictures where the breast may be compressed in different positions, or with different attachments, so that a closer look may be obtained.

Further work-up may be included.

20 1. I've just found a lump, now what do I do?

First, don't panic! Remember that 85-90% of breast lumps are NOT cancerous. Call your health care provider and discuss the lump with him/her and make an appointment to be examined as soon as possible.

21. Are there ways to decrease the chance of developing breast cancer?

Launched in April 1992, the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) was designed to see whether the drug tamoxifen could prevent breast cancer in women with an increased risk.
Data reported in 1998 showed that both pre- and post-menopausal women taking tamoxifen had 49 percent fewer diagnosed cases of breast cancer. These results were also the first clear indication that a chemopreventive agent could be effective in preventing cancer in a high-risk population. For women over 50, tamoxifen was associated with serious side effects, such as endometrial cancer and blood clots. (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Prevention/breast-cancer)
Starting in 1999, postmenopausal women ages 35 or older at increased risk for breast cancer participated in the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR). The study compared tamoxifen with raloxifene, an osteoporosis drug. The initial results of the trial were announced on April 17, 2006 (see http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/STARresultsApr172006), and showed that the drug raloxifene works as well as tamoxifen in reducing breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women at increased risk of the disease. In STAR, both drugs reduced the risk of developing invasive breast cancer by about 50 percent. In addition, within the study, women who were prospectively and randomly assigned to take raloxifene daily, and who were followed for an average of about four years, had 36 percent fewer uterine cancers and 29 percent fewer blood clots than the women who were assigned to take tamoxifen. Uterine cancers, especially endometrial cancers, are a rare but serious side effect of tamoxifen. Both tamoxifen and raloxifene are known to increase a woman's risk of blood clots. Data from STAR continues to be analyzed. (http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/STARresultsQandA)

22. If a young woman wants to have more kids after breast caner treatment, is it possible and what precautions one should take?

All cancers are not the same and one generic answer to this questions is difficult and can be misleading Most doctors advise that cancer treatment considerations should take priority over childbearing matters. My advice will be to talk to your treating physicians and discuss the issues with them