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About this Condition: Breast Cancer
About Breast Cancer
What is breast cancer?
The breast is made up of a system of lobes and branching ducts that exit at the nipple. Breast cancer is a cancer that developed in the tissues that make up the ductal or lobular system of the breast. It has many different forms, each with different behaviors and treatments (see below for more information on types of breast cancer).
In general, cancer develops after the genetic material in cells changes abnormally and the cells begin growing out of control. When there are enough of these abnormal cells, they can form a tumor that may be seen on a mammogram or felt as a lump during a breast exam.
Not all tumors in the breast are cancerous, so a biopsy is required to determine the diagnosis of a tumor that is suspicious on imaging.
How does breast cancer develop?
Many patients wonder why they developed breast cancer or if they are at a high risk for the disease.
Most breast cancers occur in women who have no known inherited genetic risk factors. The vast majority of breast cancers are the result of random mistakes, or mutations, in genes accumulated over time. Because these mutations can increase in number over time, the older you get, the more at risk you are of developing cancer.
Only about 5-10% of breast cancers are linked to inherited genetic mutations such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Patients who have an inherited mutation in one of these genes have trouble fixing the random mutations that occur over time, so they are at a much higher risk of developing breast cancer, often at a younger age than the average woman.
Learning that you may have cancer plunges you into uncertainty. The more you understand about your condition, the greater your sense of control. This overview explains diagnosis and treatment planning, to help you understand what to expect as you go through the early steps of your care.
Breast Care at Stanford Health Care
Learn more about how breast cancer is diagnosed and the options for treatment.
Learn more about surgical treatment options that preserve the breast.
Learn more about various approaches to mastectomy.
Learn more about breast cancer may be treated with medications like chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and hormone therapy.
Learn more about how lymph nodes are removed and examined to help stage and treat breast cancer.
Learn more about what it is like to receive radiation treatments for breast cancer.
To make an appointment with a breast cancer specialist, call 650-498-6004.
Learn More About Breast Cancer
What We Offer
Our providers use leading edge techniques to diagnose and treat breast cancer.
About this Condition
Learn about the symptoms, risk factors, types, diagnosis, stages and prevention of breast cancer.
Patient Care Resources
Learn what to expect as you go through the early steps of your care.
Clinical Trials
We offer one of the nation’s most robust clinical trial programs for breast cancer. These research studies evaluate new medical approaches, devices, drugs, and other treatments.
As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may be eligible to participate in open clinical trials. Open trials refer to studies currently recruiting participants or that may recruit participants in the near future. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but similar studies may open in the future.
To learn more about the clinical trials we offer, contact Pei-Jen Chang at 650-725-0866.
Our Clinics
You can access Stanford’s expertise and compassionate care for any stage or type of breast cancer at a location that is convenient for you. We always accept new patients, and we take many insurance plans, including Medicare and Medi-Cal.