What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer, a common cancer in women, is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the tissues of the breast. Each breast has 15-20 sections called lobes, which have many smaller sections called lobules. These lobes and lobules are connected by thin tubes called ducts that carry milk after a pregnancy. The most common type of breast cancer is ductile cancer. It is found in the cells of the ducts. Cancer that begins in the lobes or lobules is called lobular carcinoma. Lobular carcinoma is more often found in both breasts than other types of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is an uncommon type of breast cancer. In this disease, the breast is warm, red, and swollen.

Cancer that spreads is the same disease and has the same name as the original (primary) cancer. When breast cancer spreads, it is called mestatic breast cancer, even though the secondary tumor is in another organ. Doctors sometimes call this a distant disease.

Click here for a definition of cancer.