For some women, this may mean finding breast cancer at an early stage so that they have more chance of successful recovery. Despite media stereotypes, there is no standard breast size or shape. Women s bodies come in all forms, and their breasts have a variety of associations, including body image, sexual pleasure and motherhood. Throughout a woman s life, her breasts will go through entirely normal changes caused by fluctuations in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause. The difference now is that we have the knowledge and technology to detect breast cancer earlier and treat it more successfully.
Breast cancer occurs when there is a change in the way cells grow in the breast.
Cancerous cells grow in an uncontrolled way and can spread beyond the breast tissue, causing damage to other parts of the body. The first sign of a breast cancer is often a change in the appearance or feel of the breast. This may be a lump, a thickening or a nipple discharge. Most of these women survive breast cancer to continue their lives as before. Yet breast cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in women and these premature deaths represent a marked loss to our community.