A tumor that hasn't spread beyond the area where it began is called in situ . Although not a true cancer, LCIS increases a woman's risk of developing cancer later. For this reason, it's important for women with LCIS to have a physical exam two or three times a year, as well as a mammogram every year. It can spread to other parts of the body. If you have one of these, you can get more information from the American Cancer Society.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, other than skin cancer.
It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer. The American Cancer Society predicts that there will be about 182,800 new cases of invasive breast cancer in the year 2000 among women in this country and about 40,800 deaths from the disease. Breast cancer also occurs among men, although much less often. This decline is probably the result of better detection and improved treatment. We do not yet know exactly what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain risk factors are linked to the disease.