Breast Cancer (Print Version)

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Breast Cancer

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastcancer.html

Latest News

Laser Zaps Liver Tumors in Breast Cancer Patients (10/26/2004, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_20878.html (*this news item will not be available after 11/25/2004)
Marker Found for Breast, Ovarian Cancers (10/25/2004, United Press International) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_20846.html (*this news item will not be available after 11/24/2004)
Childhood Cancer Ups Later Breast Cancer Risk (10/25/2004, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_20834.html (*this news item will not be available after 11/24/2004)
Large Portion of Late-Stage Breast Cancers Associated with Absence of Screening (10/19/2004, National Cancer Institute) - http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2004/nci-19.htm
Sister Study Opens Nationwide: 50,000 Sisters of Women with Breast Cancer Needed to Help Find Causes of the Disease (10/18/2004, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) - http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2004/niehs-18.htm
Scientists Estimate Probability of Death from Breast Cancer and Other Causes Following Diagnosis (08/31/2004, National Cancer Institute) - http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/aug2004/nci-31.htm
More News on Breast Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_b.html#BreastCancer

From the National Institutes of Health

Breast Cancer (PDQ): Treatment (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/treatment/breast/patient/
Also available in Spanish - http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/pdq/tratamiento/seno
What You Need to Know about Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/breast

Overviews

Breast Cancer (American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.peoplelivingwithcancer.org/plwc/MainConstructor/1,1744,_04-001-00_12-001042-00_17-001029-00_21-008,00.asp
Breast Cancer (Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/breastcancerloader.html
Also available in Spanish - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/breastcancerspanishloader.html
Detailed Guide: Breast Cancer (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_3x.asp?dt=5

Anatomy/Physiology

Atlas of the Body: The Breast -- Disorders (American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ3F9G56JC⊂_cat=326

Pictures/Diagrams

Pictures of Diagnosis (Breast Cancer) (Breastcancer.org) - http://www.breastcancer.org/diagnosis_picture.html
Pictures of Types of Breast Cancer (Breastcancer.org) - http://www.breastcancer.org/type_breast_cancer_picture.html

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Breast Lump -- Biopsy (Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/breastlumpsbiopsyloader.html
Also available in Spanish - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/breastlumpsbiopsyspanishloader.html
Breast Self-Examination (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=WO00026
Ultrasound: Guided Breast Biopsy (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/content/interventional/breast_biopsy_us.htm
Understanding Breast Changes: A Health Guide for All Women (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understanding-breast-changes/
Understanding Tumor Markers for Breast and Colorectal Cancers (American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.asco.org/ac/1,1003,_12-002214-00_18-009317-00_19-0010006-00_20-001,00.asp
Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy (Mammatome) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=AN00731
X-ray Guided Breast Biopsy (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/content/interventional/breast_biopsy_xr.htm
Your Pathology Report (Breast Cancer) (Breastcancer.org) - http://www.breastcancer.org/pathology_intro.html

Treatment

Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer: Questions and Answers (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_20.htm
Also available in Spanish - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_20s.htm
Aromatase Inhibitors (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/developments/aromatase-inhibitors-digest
Biphosphonates for Breast Cancer (American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.asco.org/ac/1,1003,_12-002214-00_18-0031017-00_19-0031018-00_20-001,00.asp
MedlinePlus: Mastectomy (National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mastectomy.html
Also available in Spanish - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/mastectomy.html
New Treatment Significantly Improves Long-Term Outlook for Breast Cancer Survivors (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/letrozole
Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation (RFA) (Society of Interventional Radiology) - http://www.sirweb.org/patPub/radiofrequencyAblation.shtml
Surgery Choices for Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/breast-cancer-surgery-choices
Tamoxifen: Questions and Answers (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_16.htm
Also available in Spanish - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_16s.htm
Understanding Breast Cancer Treatments: A Guide for Patients (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/understanding-breast-cancer-treatment
What Every Breast Surgeon Should Know (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_2_1x_What_Every_Breast_Surgeon_Should_Know.asp

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/action/FindCondition?ui=D001943&recruiting;=true
ClinicalTrials.gov: Paget's Disease, Mammary (National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/action/FindCondition?ui=D010144&recruiting;=true

Specific Conditions

Breast Calcifications: Are They Cancer? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=AN00049
Breast Cancer: Know Your Type (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ00348
HER-2 Breast Cancer (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=AN00495
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/6_2.htm
Metastatic Disease (Breast Cancer) (Breastcancer.org) - http://www.breastcancer.org/rcr_intro.html
Paget's Disease of the Breast: Questions and Answers (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/6_39.htm
Slide Show: How Cancer Spreads (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=CA00042

Prevention/Screening

BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 Tests (American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/brca/test.html
Breast Cancer (PDQ): Prevention (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/prevention/breast/patient/
Breast Cancer (PDQ): Screening (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/screening/breast/patient/
Breast Cancer: Steps to Finding Breast Lumps Early (American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/018.xml
Also available in Spanish - http://familydoctor.org/e018.xml
MedlinePlus: Mammography (National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mammography.html
Also available in Spanish - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/mammography.html
Protecting Your Health - Women Prescribed DES While Pregnant (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/DES/consumers/do/protect_women.html
Tamoxifen and Raloxifene to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk: Questions and Answers (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6X_Tamoxifen_and_Raloxifene_Questions_and_Answers_5.asp?sitearea=
Updated Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Released (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Updated_Breast_Cancer_Screening_Guidelines_Released.asp

Disease Management

What Happens after Treatment for Breast Cancer? (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_5x_what_happens_after_treatment_5.asp?sitearea=cri

Coping

For Women Facing a Breast Biopsy (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_6x_For_Women_Facing_a_Breast_Biopsy.asp?sitearea=
Physical Problems May Linger after Breast Cancer Treatment (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_2_1x_Physical_Problems_May_Linger_After_Breast_Cancer_Treatment.asp
Where to Seek Professional Help: Sexuality and Cancer (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/mit/content/mit_7_2x_where_to_seek_professional_help_women.asp

Related Issues

Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/3_66.htm
Breast Cancer and Pregnancy (PDQ) (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/treatment/breast-cancer-and-pregnancy/patient/
Also available in Spanish - http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/pdq/tratamiento/cancer-de-seno-y-embarazo
Can Having an Abortion Cause or Contribute to Breast Cancer? (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_can_having_an_abortion_cause_or_contribute_to_breast_cancer.asp?sitearea=cri
Female Sexuality after Cancer (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=SA00071
Known Health Effects for Women Prescribed DES (Diethylstilbestrol) While Pregnant (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/DES/consumers/about/effects_women.html
Lymphedema: Hand and Arm Care Following Surgery or Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6X_Lymphedema_5.asp?sitearea=
Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy and Cancer Risk (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_Menopausal_Hormone_Replacement_Therapy_and_Cancer_Risk.asp?sitearea
Menopausal Hormone Use: Questions and Answers (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/estrogenplus
Also available in Spanish - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/estrogenplusSpanish
Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/3_13.htm
Also available in Spanish - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/3_13s.htm
Understanding Estrogen Receptors, Tamoxifen, and Raloxifene (National Cancer Institute) - http://press2.nci.nih.gov/sciencebehind/estrogen/estrogen01.htm
What Breast Cancer Survivors Need to Know about Osteoporosis (Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases-National Resource Center) - http://www.osteo.org/newfile.asp?doc=r805i&doctitle;=What+Breast+Cancer+Survivors+Need+to+Know+About+Osteoporosis&doctype;=HTML+Fact+Sheet
What Should You Ask Your Doctor about Breast Cancer? (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_5X_What_should_you_ask_your_physician_about_breast_cancer_5.asp?sitearea=

Research

Breast Cancer in Women Who Survived Childhood Cancer (American College of Physicians) - http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/141/8/I-30
Breast Cancer Risk among Young Women with Hodgkin Disease (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/HodgkinsBreast
Brisk Walk to Cut Breast Cancer Risk (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_A_Brisk_Walk_to_Cut_Breast_Cancer_Risk.asp
Capecitabine-Docetaxel Combo Improves Survival in Advanced Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.nci.nih.gov/ClinicalTrials/results/capecitabine-combo0602
Chemoprevention (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/4_2.htm
Does Radiation for Breast Cancer Affect Lung Cancer Risk? (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Does_Radiation_for_Breast_Cancer_Affect_Lung_Cancer_Risk.asp
Dose-Dense Chemotherapy Helped Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/dose-dense0604
Ductal Lavage Not Reliable as Breast Cancer Screening Technique (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Ductal_Lavage_Not_Reliable_as_Breast_Cancer_Screening_Technique.asp
Early Breast Cancer: Group Therapy Doesn't Extend Life, Study Finds (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Early_Breast_Cancer_Group_Therapy_Doesnt_Extend_Life_Study_Finds.asp
Herceptin (Trastuzumab): Questions and Answers (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_45.htm
High-Dose Chemotherapy with Stem Cell Transplantation: Still No Clear Benefit (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/high-dose-chemo0703
Is Pregnancy after Breast Cancer Safe? (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Is_Pregnancy_After_Breast_Cancer_Safe.asp
Is Short Course, Partial Breast Radiation Safe? (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Is_Short_Course_Partial_Breast_Radiation_Safe.asp
Large Portion of Late-Stage Breast Cancers Associated with Absence of Screening (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2004/nci-19.htm
More Evidence Aspirin Protects against Breast Cancer (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_More_Evidence_Aspirin_Protects_Against_Breast_Cancer.asp
MRI Finds Breast Cancer in High-Risk Women (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_MRI_Finds_Breast_Cancer_in_High-Risk_Women.asp
Proteomics Research Aids Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2003/nci-09.htm
Questions and Answers about the Electromagnetic Fields and Breast Cancer on Long Island Study (National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/LIBCSPemfQandA
Race and Ethnicity Affect Breast Cancer Outcome (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Race_And_Ethnicity_Affect_Breast_Cancer_Outcome.asp
Sister Study: A Study of the Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Breast Cancer (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) - http://www.sisterstudy.org/
Some Older Women May Not Need Breast Cancer Radiation (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Some_Older_Women_May_Not_Need_Breast_Cancer_Radiation.asp
Study Finds Immune Therapy for Metastatic Breast Cancer Possible (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/aug2004/nci-31a.htm
Study Shows Link between Antibiotic Use and Increased Risk of Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/Antibiotics
Treatment of Earliest Stage Breast Cancer Varies Widely (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Treatment_of_Earliest_Stage_Breast_Cancer_Varies_Widely.asp
Value of Radiation Confirmed in Early Breast Cancer (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Value_of_Radiation_Confirmed_in_Early_Breast_Cancer.asp
Women Skip Lifesaving Mammograms (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Women_Skip_Lifesaving_Mammograms.asp

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: Breast cancer (National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=breastcancer
Genetic Testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2: It's Your Choice (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/3_62.htm
Genetic Testing for Breast and Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/info/factshts/breastcancer.htm
Genetics of Breast and Ovarian Cancer (PDQ) (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/genetics/breast-and-ovarian
Learning About Breast Cancer (National Human Genome Research Institute) - http://www.genome.gov/page.cfm?pageID=10000507

Dictionaries/Glossaries

Cancer.gov Dictionary (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary/

Directories

ACOG's Physician Directory (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.acog.org/member-lookup/disclaimer.cfm
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Contacts (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) - Directory of free or low-cost mammogram and Pap test programs - http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/contacts.htm
Also available in Spanish - http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp_sp/contacts.htm

Organizations

American Cancer Society - http://www.cancer.org/
National Cancer Institute - http://www.cancer.gov/
Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization - http://www.y-me.org/

Law and Policy

Guidance and Summary of Actions on the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000 (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) - http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/law106-354.htm
Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa1/content/whcra.asp?

Statistics

Breast Cancer Deaths on the Decline (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Breast_Cancer_Deaths_on_the_Decline.asp
Lifetime Probability of Breast Cancer in American Women (National Cancer Institute) - http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/5_6.htm
Scientists Estimate Probability of Death from Breast Cancer and Other Causes Following Diagnosis (National Cancer Institute) - http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/aug2004/nci-31.htm
What Are the Key Statistics for Breast Cancer? (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_are_the_key_statistics_for_breast_cancer_5.asp?sitearea=cri

Men

MedlinePlus: Male Breast Cancer (National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/malebreastcancer.html
Also available in Spanish - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/malebreastcancer.html

Seniors

Breast Cancer (National Cancer Institute) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/breastcancer/toc.html
Inadequate Treatment of Breast Cancer Deadly for Elderly Women (American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Inadequate_Treatment_of_Breast_Cancer_Deadly_for_Elderly_Women.asp

Other Languages

Breast Cancer (Harborview Medical Center, Patient Education Institute) - Vietnamese - http://ethnomed.org/ethnomed/patient_ed/cancer/breast_cancer/breast_cancer/xplain.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Breast Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastdiseases.html
Breast Reconstruction - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastreconstruction.html
Male Breast Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/malebreastcancer.html
Mammography - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mammography.html
Mastectomy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mastectomy.html
Cancers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cancers.html
Women's Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/womenshealth.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Breast Cancer is the National Cancer Institute - http://www.nci.nih.gov/

Page last updated: 29 October 2004
Topic last reviewed: 18 September 2004