An estimated 212,600 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Another 1,300 cases will be found in men, many of whom were unaware they were at risk for the disease. With as many new cases being discovered every year, the importance of early detection becomes increasingly apparent. It was with that goal in mind that October was designated National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with events held across the country aimed at recognizing the significance of early discovery and treatment of the disease.

What causes breast cancer is unknown. Doctors do know, however, that bumping, bruising, or touching the breast does not cause breast cancer, and the disease is no contagious. There are certain established factors that have shown that certain women are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. They include:

• Age: The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. A woman over age 60 is at greatest risk. This disease is very uncommon before menopause.
• Personal history of breast cancer: A woman who has had breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of getting this disease in her other breast.
• Family history: A woman's risk of breast cancer is higher if her mother, sister, or daughter had breast cancer, especially at a young age (before age 40). Having other relatives with breast cancer on either her mother's or her father's side of the family may also increase a woman's risk.
• Certain breast changes: Some women have cells in the breast that look abnormal under a microscope. Having certain types of abnormal cells (atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ [LCIS]) increases the risk of breast cancer.
• Genetic alterations: Changes in certain genes increase the risk of breast cancer. In families in which many women have had the disease, genetic testing can sometimes show the presence of specific genetic changes. Health-care providers may suggest ways to try to reduce the risk of breast cancer, or to improve the detection of this disease in women who have these changes in their genes.

Mammograms, clinical breast exams and self-examination are all advised methods of early detection. The National Cancer Institute recommends that women in the 40s have a mammogram, or X-ray of the breasts, at least once every one or two years. Women at high risk for breast cancer to have mammograms may want to consider undergoing mammography even earlier. During a clinical breast exam, which usually lasts no more than 10 minutes, the health-care provider feels the breasts while the woman is standing or sitting up and lying down, looking for differences between the breasts, including unusual differences in size or shape. The skin of each breast is checked for a rash, dimpling, or other abnormal signs. The nipples may be squeezed to see if fluid is present. Self-examination should be performed monthly, although it should not be viewed as a replacement for clinical exams or mammograms.

• Some of the symptoms for breast cancer include:
  A change in how the breast or nipple feels, such as a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area or nipple tenderness;
• A change in how the breast or nipple looks, such as a change in the size or shape of the breast;
• Nipple discharge.

A man or woman who encounters any of these symptoms should see their physician immediately for further evaluation. Even after receiving a diagnosis, it’s important to get a second opinion and look at treatment options, which include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, and biological therapy