Breast disease encompasses a variety of benign and malignant disorders. Although fortunately the majority of breast complaints are ultimately benign, breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in…
Introduction Soon after the French revolution (1789–99) Paris hosted the birth of modern scientific medicine. Prominent clinician-scientists working to understand the origins of human cancer collected cancer family histories and debated whether family cancer clusters proved that cancer was contagious…
Identifying Women at Risk Chemoprevention can be defined as the use of natural or synthetic chemical agents to reverse, suppress, or prevent carcinogenic progression to invasive cancer. Epidemiologic data suggesting that breast cancer is preventable through drug intervention include time…
Introduction The oldest documented case of human cancer dates back to 3000 BCE in ancient Egypt. The details were recorded on papyrus, and described a case involving a tumor of the breast. At the time, these tumors were believed to…
Descriptive Epidemiology Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women other than skin cancers. The average woman in the United States has a lifetime risk of developing breast cancer of about 13%. The American Cancer Society estimates about…
Introduction and Definitions Nipple discharge prompts the majority of women to seek immediate attention from their physician. Women view nipple discharge as a potential indicator of breast cancer. Thus it is critical for a physician caring for women with breast…
The mammary gland is composed of an epithelial system of ducts and lobuloalveolar secretory units embedded in a mesenchymally derived fat pad. The growth and morphogenesis of the epithelial structures of the breast occur in various stages and are associated…
Paired mammary glands, or breasts, are a distinguishing feature of mammals. These glands evolved as milk-producing organs to provide nourishment to the offspring, in a relatively immature and dependent state, with embryonic development in utero. The organ develops from the…
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and is the second leading cause of cancer death in US women. Breast cancer mortality has declined by approximately 40% over the past several decades in the United States due…
Introduction Medicine and surgery have undergone drastic changes in the past century. This is due in part to the modernization of technology as well as new approaches and techniques for treatment. An ideal intervention or treatment will effectively treat the…