Noticable treatment improvements of the disease came about between the 1930's and the 1950's. In 1975, a crucial discovery was made in unraveling the mystery of cancer. Researchers at the University of California discovered that certain genes in normal body cells somehow became abnormal. (3) Before this discovery, the cause of cancer was unknown. .
Eighty to eighty-five percent of breast cancer cases happen in women with no family history of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 211,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year, and 43,300 people will die from it. Breast cancer is an "epidemic" among women and we don't know why. Breast cancer is not completely a disease of women. For every 100 women with breast cancer, 1 male will develop the disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that 1,600 men will develop the disease this year. (www.thebreastcancersite.com) .
Breast cancer is seen more often in women over forty-five. It's unlikely for women in their twenties to be diagnosed, its possible but unlikely. The chance increases into the thirties and forties, but dramatically increases after the age of fifty. Fifty percent of breast cancer is diagnosed in women over sixty-five indicating the ongoing necessity of yearly screening throughout a woman's life.(www.nationalbreastcancer.org 2.) .
There are many different types of breast cancers. The most common type of breast cancer is Infiltrating Ductal Breast Cancer. This type of cancer represents about 78% of all malignancies. This type of cancer appears in a star-like formation on a mamogram and in a circular formation in appearance. Ductal Carcinoma in-situ is another type. This cancer type is "early cancer" which stays within the inside of the ductal system. Fifteen percent of breast cancers belong to the Medullary Carcinoma Breast Cancer type. These lesions are generally well circumscribed and may be difficult to distinguish from fibroadenoma by mammography or sonography.