Breast Cancer

The breast is made up of thousands of tiny glands that produce milk. These glands are called lobules and when a woman has a baby, the milk is delivered from the lobules to the nipple through a network of small tubes called ducts (or milk ducts). The breasts also consist of fat and connective tissue that surround all these ducts and lobules as well as blood vessels and lymphatic vessels within the breasts. Most commonly, the breasts are not the same size as each other and they may feel different at different times of the month — for example, just before a period they can feel lumpy. Breast cancer is most common in women over the age of 50 and it is extremely rare in women under 40. Even so, it is important that all women get to know their breasts over time so they can spot any changes that may need investigating. Breast cancer occurs most commonly in women although men can also develop breast cancer in rare cases. Most breast cancers start in the cells lining the milk ducts but some begin inside the lobules. It is also possible — although rare - for breast cancer to start in the other tissues of the breasts. We don´t yet fully understand the causes of breast cancer but there are a number of risk factors that are known to increase a woman´s chance of developing the disease. These have to do with age, family history, certain breast conditions, amount of exposure to the hormone oestrogen and lifestyle factors such as being overweight and drinking alcohol over recommended limits. There are other risk factors too, there are different types of breast cancer and different treatments and you may want to find out more.

To help you find answers to some of your questions, we have linked to Maggie’s CancerLinks where you will find links to high quality information about breast cancer. The information on these websites is not written specifically for young people but it is written using simple language in a way that most people will be able to understand. Don’t worry if there are lots of links to different websites. Have a look on the description of the links and very often you will find the information you are searching for on the first website that you look at. If you just want general information about cancer you could read the ‘About cancer’ section on riprap.

Remember that the information on these sites is general. Within each cancer type, there are different variations, different stages, different treatments and people may also respond differently to the same treatments. Each person is an individual and because of this, generic information may not fit the situation you are thinking of. Often your parents or someone else who knows the details can answer your questions best. Also, please feel free to get in touch with us here at riprap. We can help you sorting through information or discuss things you’ve heard or read or anything at all that’s on your mind.

Don’t forget that there are lots of very effective treatments for cancer these days and many cancers can be completely cured. There are also very good treatments to control cancers that cannot be cured and research is going on all the time to find new treatments that can control and cure cancers.

Page updated 13 July 2017