Breast Cancer

Symptoms 

Breast cancer symptoms include a lump in the breast, skin changes and discharge from the nipple. Learn more about breast cancer symptoms, including other possible diagnoses and when to see a doctor on our breast cancer symptoms page. 

Diagnosis 

Breast cancer is diagnosed through imaging exams like a mammogram and by studying suspected cancer tissue under a microscope. Read more about how doctors diagnose breast cancer.

Typical treatment options 

Treatments for breast cancer include surgery, radiation therapy and cancer drugs like chemotherapy, hormone blockers, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Doctors make your treatment plan based on your specific diagnosis. Learn more about breast cancer treatment. 

Who gets breast cancer? 

While breast cancer can develop in men and women, most cases are diagnosed in women aged 60 or older. People with a family history of breast cancer are at an increased risk. 

Breast cancer survival rates 

For women, breast cancer’s five-year survival rate is nearly 92%. That figure changes based on how advanced the cancer is when it is diagnosed and the cancer’s molecular subtype. 

If the cancer is confined to the breast, the survival rate is nearly 100%. If it has spread to nearby lymph nodes, the survival rate is about 87%. Breast cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lung, liver or brain, has a survival rate of about 33%. In some cases, even advanced breast cancer is still curable, however. 

Talk to your care team about how your exact diagnosis impacts your prognosis. 

Risk factors 

A risk factor is anything that increases the chances of developing a specific disease. Key breast cancer risk factors and causes include: 

• Age: As women age, their breast cancer risk increases. Most breast cancers are diagnosed after age 60. 
• Inherited genetic mutations: Specific gene mutations that are passed down from parent to child can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. These include BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Normal BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes repair damaged DNA. When these genes are mutated in certain ways, they fail at DNA repair, which could lead to breast and/or ovarian cancer. Other mutations that can lead to breast cancer are PALB2, another DNA repair gene; and CHEK2 and PTEN, which suppress tumors. Learn more about hereditary cancer syndromes. 
• Family history: A woman’s odds of developing breast cancer are higher if a parent, sibling or child has had the disease. 
• Early menstruation: Women who began menstruating before age 12 have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. 
• Women who have no full-term pregnancies or have their first pregnancy after age 30 are at a higher risk of breast cancer. 
• Previous breast cancer diagnosis: A woman who has had breast cancer once has an increased risk of developing cancer again. 
• Previous radiation therapy: People who had radiation therapy to the chest in childhood or early adulthood to treat another cancer are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. The benefits of these earlier radiation treatments far outweigh the risks, however. 
• Obesity: Obesity, particularly after menopause, increases a woman’s breast cancer risk. 
• Dense breast tissue: Dense breast tissue, which is based on its appearance in a mammogram, is a known risk factor for breast cancer. 
• Postmenopausal hormone therapy: Some women use hormone therapies containing estrogen and progesterone to treat the symptoms of menopause. This may increase the risk of breast cancer. 
• Drinking alcohol.

Is breast cancer hereditary? 

Some breast cancers can are caused by genetic changes that can be passed down from parent to child. Learn more about these hereditary cancer syndromes and genetic counseling and testing. 

Why choose UT MD Anderson for your breast cancer treatment?

Choosing the right hospital may be the most important decision you make as a breast cancer patient. At UT MD Anderson you’ll get treatment from one of the nation’s top-ranked cancer centers. Our expertise starts with the ability to accurately diagnose and stage even extremely rare cancers, then carries on through groundbreaking treatment and into survivorship.

At other centers and hospitals, doctors may be expected to develop treatment plans or perform surgery on patients with several different types of cancer and/or non-cancerous conditions. At UT MD Anderson, our core mission is to eliminate cancer. UT MD Anderson breast cancer care is provided by surgeons, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists who are focused exclusively on curing breast cancer, extending the life of breast cancer patients and maximizing their quality of life.

This allows them to develop a tremendous amount of experience and skill in treating breast cancer patients, including those with rare forms of the disease. Each doctor brings their skills to our multidisciplinary teams, where they work together to develop treatment plans that address the unique nature of each breast cancer case and patient.

As a top-ranked cancer hospital, UT MD Anderson is also a leader in innovating new and better ways to care for patients. Our breast cancer doctors have helped develop new treatments and therapies that have improved survival rates, decreased side effects and resulted in better cosmetic outcomes for breast cancer patients.

And at UT MD Anderson you will be surrounded by the strength of one of the nation's largest and most experienced cancer centers. From support groups to nutrition counseling to integrative medicine care, we have all the services needed to treat not just the disease, but the whole person.