National Breast Cancer Awareness Month increasing early breas…

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Q: How many new cases of breast cancer are estimated in the United States … A: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, aside from skin cancer. …

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PATIENT SERVICES | Breast Cancer Q & A
Provided by National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Cancer/Breast Cancer
Q: What is cancer?
A:
Cancer is a disease that occurs when cells become abnormal and divide without control or order. Each organ in the
body is made up of various kinds of cells. Cells normally divide in an orderly way to produce more cells only when
they are needed. This process helps keep the body healthy. If cells divide when new cells are not needed, they form too
much tissue. This extra tissue, called a tumor, can be benign or malignant.
Benign tumors are not cancer.
Eighty percent of all breast tumors are benign. They can usually be removed, and, in most cases, they don’t come
back. Most important, the cells in benign tumors do not invade other tissues and do not spread to other parts of
the body. Benign breast tumors are not life-threatening.
Malignant tumors are cancer.
The cancer cells grow and divide out of control, invading and damaging nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells
can also break away from the original tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. This is how breast
cancer…