breast cancer, male Breast cancer in men. Male breast cancer is much less common than breast cancer in women. Fewer than 1 percent of persons with breast cancer are male. However, breast cancer is no less dangerous in males than in females. After the diagnosis of breast cancer is made, the mortality rates are virtually…
breast cancer, familial A form of breast cancer that tends to occur in members of the same family. A number of factors have been identified as increasing the risk of breast cancer. One of the strongest is a family history of breast cancer in a relative. About 15 to 20 percent of women with breast…
breast cancer A common form of cancer that begins in the breast. There are many types of breast cancer, and they differ in their capability of spreading to other body tissues (metastasis). Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, although it is more common in women. Some forms of breast cancer are genetic…
breast augmentation Artificial enlargement of the breasts. Breast augmentation may be done by insertion of a silicone bag (prosthesis) under the breast (submammary) or under the breast and chest muscle (subpectoral), after which the bag is filled with saline solution. This prosthesis expands the breast area to give the appearance of a fuller breast (increased…
breast absence See amastia.
breast, Paget’s disease of The combination of scaly skin on the nipple that resembles eczema and an underlying cancer of the breast. The nipple is inflamed because of the presence of Paget’s cells, large, irregular cells that are almost always associated with cancer in the breast. In Paget’s disease, the nipple and areola (the area…
breast, infiltrating lobular carcinoma of the The second most common invasive breast cancer. Infiltrating lobular carcinoma starts in the lobules, the glands that secrete milk, and then infiltrates surrounding tissue. Lobular carcinoma can occur in more than one site in the breast or in both breasts at the same time (a bilateral lobular carcinoma).
breast, infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the One of several recognized specific patterns of breast cancer that begins in the cells that form the ducts of the breast. The most common form of breast cancer, it may appear as a smooth-edged lump in the breast. On physical examination, this lump usually feels much harder or firmer…
breast The front of the chest or the mammary gland. The mammary gland is a milk-producing gland that is largely composed of fat. Within the mammary gland are sac-like structures called lobules, which produce the milk, as well as a complex network of branching ducts. These ducts exit from the lobules at the nipple. The…
breakbone fever See dengue fever.
BRCA2 A tumor suppressor gene that normally acts to restrain the growth of cells. Mutations of BRCA2, like those of BRCA1, are responsible mainly for hereditary breast cancer. They seldom appear to be involved in sporadic, noninherited breast cancer—the 95 percent of breast cancer that does not run in families. Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 are…
BRCA1 A tumor suppressor gene that normally acts to restrain the growth of cells. Mutated forms of BRCA1 and BRCA2 are responsible for about half the cases of inherited breast cancer, especially those that occur in relatively young women. From the words breast and cancer. See also breast cancer susceptibility gene.