Breast Cancer Sourcebook

Basic Consumer Health Information about Breast Health and Breast Cancer, Including Facts about Environmental, Genetic, and Other Risk Factors, Prevention Efforts, Screening and Diagnostic Methods, Surgical Treatment Options and Other Care Choices, Complementary and Alternative Therapies, and Post-Treatment Concerns

Breast cancer, the second-most common type of cancer among women in the United States (after skin cancer), is diagnosed in more than 211,000 women and 1,700 men each year. According to the National Cancer Institute, 35 years ago approximately 75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer survived their disease at least five years. Today, that number is up to nearly 90%. In addition, recent advances in gene expression analysis have led to the identification of five subtypes of breast cancer that have distinct features. Medical researchers hope this knowledge will allow the development of treatment strategies based on an individual's tumor characteristics and that this will continue to improve treatment outcomes in the future.

Breast Cancer Sourcebook, Third Edition, provides updated information about breast health and breast cancer risk factors. It explains the different types of breast cancer, including breast cancer associated with different genes, inflammatory breast cancer, Paget disease of the nipple, and breast cancer in men. It discusses how screening for breast cancer with mammography, clinical breast exams, and self-exams may help doctors find and treat cancer early when treatments are more likely to be effective. Cancer treatment options, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and biological therapy are described, and the emotional concerns of women in and after treatment are addressed. A section on research advances offers information from recent clinical trials, and the book concludes with a glossary and directories of resources for additional help and support.