Diagnosis

The time at which breast cancer is diagnosed (whether early or late), and the size of the tumour and the areas affected, all determine how aggressive the cancer is and what the prognosis will be. The earlier the tumour is detected, the better the prognosis for the patient and the greater the chances that it can be cured.

What is the most common type of breast cancer?

Cancer is a collection of abnormal cells that multiply out of control and can invade other tissues. In breast cancer, the most common type is of epithelial origin (80-90%), usually carcinomas (tumour that starts in the mammary gland) and, less commonly, breast lymphoma or sarcoma, which are different kinds of cancer.

Other possible forms are:

• Benign tumour - a mass that grows without affecting the surrounding tissues or spreading and causing metastasis.
• Disseminated breast cancer - which grows locally when it progresses and can send cells through the blood vessels to the lymph nodes and affect other organs.