Have you noticed a lump or thickening in your breast? Do you find your breast size uneven? Do your nipples appear retracted or inverted? Are you worried that you might have breast cancer?

The second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S among women is breast cancer, the first being lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, only about 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are hereditary in nature. It is estimated that about 75 percent of breast cancers occur in women who do not even possess the risk factors. Breast cancer is also seen in men but this occurrence is often rare.

Breast cancer is a malignancy that starts as a single abnormal cell that duplicates itself beyond control. Breast cancer frequently develops in the ducts that carry milk to the nipple. This can also form in the milk producing small sac of the breast. Breast cancer can exhibit either a slow growth or a quick and aggressive growth that can spread to nearby lymph nodes or even to more distant areas.

In order to provide early treatment, it is important to be able to identify the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

1. A person with breast cancer usually finds a thickening or a lump around her breast or armpit area.

2. The nipple often exhibits an inverted or retracted appearance.

3. Those who are suffering from breast cancer may find changes in their breast including a change in size, contour and color.

4. A clear or bloody discharge may appear in the nipple.

5. The breast skin will show pitting or dimpling which resembles the skin of an orange.

Without any doubt, finding any of the above signs and symptoms will be very frightening to any one of us. Breast cancer is undoubtedly one of women's most dreaded illnesses.

Breast cancers treated during the early stage promise more than 95 percent success rate. The treatment procedures for breast cancers depend on a variety of factors which include the following:

1. The age, weight and general health of the patient.

2. The type and the development stage of cancer.

3. The characteristics of cancer cells.

4. The involvement of the other breast.

Even the menopausal status of the patient will also affect the type of treatment that will be provided. A combination of surgery is typically the treatment plan involved in breast cancer cases. These surgical procedures can include lumpectomy or the removal of only the lump, mastectomy or the removal of the entire breast, lymph node removal, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Hormone therapy is often administered with the drug tamoxifen which may prevent the recurrence of the cancer cells.

A patient has a higher chance of recovery if breast cancer is discovered early and proper treatment administered immediately. Therefore it is important especially for women to perform a routine self-examination to determine if any suspicious growth or lump is developing along the breast and armpit area.