The protein was first identified in 1986 and has been determined in preliminary research to be lacking in the majority of breast cancer patients and healthy women who have a family history of breast cancer. Mammograms are made using a special x-ray machine designed specifically for this purpose. Screening mammography is used for early detection of breast cancer in women without any breast symptoms. Diagnostic mammography is used to help characterize suspicious breast masses or determine the cause of other breast symptoms. Any group of cells clustered together more densely than the surrounding breast tissue.
Masses can be benign or malignant.
Surgery to remove all or part of the breast and sometimes other tissue. Halsted radical mastectomy removes the breast, skin, nipple, areola, both pectoral muscles, and all axillary lymph nodes on the same side. Modified radical mastectomy removes the breast, skin, nipple, areola, and most of the axillary lymph nodes on the same side, leaving the chest muscles intact. Partial mastectomy removes less than the whole breast, taking only part of the breast in which the cancer occurs and a margin of healthy breast tissue surrounding the tumor. Subcutaneous mastectomy is surgery to remove internal breast tissue.