Breast cancer overviews: risk factors, prevention, diagnosis and treatment

Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital physicians' Well-connected comprehensive breast cancer overview, including:

• Breast anatomy
• Definitions of breast cancer confined to the breast and breast cancer which has started spreading
• Risk factors for breast cancer: age, family history, estrogen (female hormone) exposure, history of breast biopsy showing atypical overgrowth of breast cells, obesity (overweight), radiation therapy during childhood or teenage years
• Lowering breast cancer risk with Tamoxifen anti-estrogen or preventive mastectomy (breast removal surgery) and breast reconstruction
• Symptoms of breast cancer, including lumps, distorted shape, nipple retraction or scaliness, skin retraction, skin thickening and dimpling like the skin of an orange, clear or bloody nipple discharge or no symptoms at all, for early cancers found only on mammograms
• Written instructions on breast self-examination
• Importance of physician breast examination
• Mammograms, ultrasound, MRI
• Breast biopsy, lymph gland removal and possible complications of lymph gland removal, sentinel (first) lymph node biopsy
• What determines outlook, that is whether your cancer will come back and how long you are likely to survive
• Breast cancer stages (how far the cancer has spread) explained with general treatment recommendations for each stage
• Surgical treatment of breast cancer, mastectomy (breast removal), lumpectomy, breast reconstruction, follow-up after surgery
• Radiation therapy and complications of radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy (drug treatment) including side effects
• Hormone therapy
• High dose chemotherapy with bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation
• Herceptin for poor outlook her-2-neu positive cancers

National Cancer Institute

• What is cancer?
• Breast anatomy
• Types of breast cancer
• Breast cancer screening and early detection
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis (physician exam, mammography, sonography), biopsy, estrogen and progesterone receptor tests
• Treatments: surgical lumpectomy, simple, modified and radical mastectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy (drug treatment), hormone therapy, breast cancer stages explained with general treatment guidelines for each stage
• Side effects of cancer treatment
• Nutrition
• Recovery and follow-up
• Living with cancer
• Support for breast cancer patients
• Links to their other booklets:
  • Radiation Therapy and You
  • Chemotherapy and You
  • Helping Yourself During Chemotherapy
  • Eating Hints
  • Relief From Cancer Pain
  • Questions and Answers About Pain Control
  • Taking Time: Support for People With Cancer and the People Who Care About Them
  • Facing Forward: A Guide for Cancer Survivors
  • When Cancer Recurs: Meeting the Challenge Again
  • Advanced Cancer: Living Each Day

National Cancer Institute's CancerNet breast cancer resources:

• Screening
• Mammography
• Tumor markers
• Treatment
• Clinical trials (experimental treatment)
• Male breast cancer treatment
• Pregnancy and breast cancer treatment
• Inflammatory Breast Cancer
• Causes/Risk Factors
• Genetics
• Preventive mastectomy (breast removal) and preventive Tamoxifen
• Treatment side effects
• Breast cancer complications
• Eating hints
• Metastatic (spreading) cancer

American Cancer Society breast cancer resource center:

• What is breast cancer?
• Breast Self-Exam
• Prevention & Risk Factors
• Genetic Testing
• Detection & Symptoms
• Mammography and other Breast Imaging Procedures
• Treatment: Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Hormone Therapy, Herceptin, Bisphosphonates
• Treatment Guidelines 2002 National Comprehensive Cancer Network and American Cancer Society
• Reconstruction after Mastectomy
• Prostheses
• Lymphedema or swollen arm after breast cancer treatment
• Follow-up

• What Is Breast Cancer?
• Male Breast Cancer
• Diagnosis and Prevention
• Risk Factors and Possible Causes
• Statistics
• Care and Treatment
• Chemotherapy
• Clinical Trials
• Diet
• Drugs
• Radiation
• Surgery

English CancerBACUP Understanding cancer of the breast

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's breast health resources:

• Risk factors
• Breast cancer genes
• Tamoxifen
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Prophylactic Mastectomies
• Breast Problems and Breast Cancers
• Mammography and Calcifications
• Ultrasonography
• Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA), Core Needle Biopsy and Surgical Biopsy
• Breast cancer stages I, II, III or IV
• Male breast cancer
• Surgery
• Breast Reconstruction
• Radiation
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy
• Clinical Trials
• Prostheses
• Lymphedema
• Follow up
• Recurrence
• Living with Breast Cancer
• Support
• Nutrition
• Exercise

Britain's Royal Marsden Hospital Breast Cancer

• What is cancer?
• What causes breast cancer?
• How common is breast cancer?
• Breast cancer screening
• What happens when I go to the doctor?
• Are all lumps cancer?
• Treatment (Surgery, Radiotherapy, Cancer drugs)
• How am I likely to feel?
• Will I look different?
• What about my usual activities?
• Sexuality and fertility
• Checkups

1. For medical students:
• Normal Breast Anatomy and Physiology
• Symptoms of breast cancer
• Differential diagnosis of a breast lump
• High-risk groups
• Postmenopausal hormonal replacement
• Genetic considerations
• Diagnosis of breast cancer
• Breast cancer outlook
• Types of surgery
• Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy
2. For Patients:
• Breast pain and lumps
• Risk factors
• Hormones and osteoporosis prevention
• Detection and mammograms
• Biopsy for an abnormal mammogram
• Understanding your Pathology report
• Breast cancer treatment options
• Side Effects of Radiation
• Phantom pain after mastectomy
• Breast Reconstruction
• Breast Prostheses
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy
• Clinical Trials
• Genetic testing
• Prophylactic mastectomy (removal of the other breast)

Siemens medical imaging (X-ray) equipment manufacturer's imaginis:

• Non-Cancerous Breast Issues
• Statistics
• Risk Factors
• Prevention
• Breast Self-Exam
• Mammography
• Ultrasound
• Biopsy
• Breast Cancer Staging and Survival Rates
• Treatment: Lumpectomy, Radiation Therapy, Mastectomy, Chemotherapy
• Cosmetic/Reconstructive Surgery
• CAT Scan
• MRI Scan
• Nuclear Medicine

• Breast Self Exam, Clinical Breast Exam, Mammography
• Breast Cancer FAQs
• Understanding Your Pathology Report
• Advanced or metastatic disease
• Single Women with Breast Cancer
• Male breast cancer

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