Some tumors are discovered when a physician or nurse examines a woman's breast. Sometimes a breast tumor is found by a special x-ray of the breast called a mammogram. Doctors recommend that all women over age 50 have a mammogram each year to detect possible breast cancer. Not all breast tumors or lumps are cancer. When a woman or her doctor finds a breast lump or when a tumor shows up on a mammogram, a surgeon removes all or part of the tumor to see whether the tumor contains cancer cells.
Many women live years and years after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Women can find out how to look for early signs of the disease from doctors, nurses and breast cancer organizations. Sadly, some women do die from breast cancer, even after having surgery and other treatments. Every year, more than 40,000 women in the United States die from breast cancer. Not always, although some women do have their breast removed when they have breast cancer. This operation is called a mastectomy.