Breast Cancer- An Overview of the Disease

Breast cancer is a malignant proliferation of epithelial cells lining the ducts or lobules of the breast and is the most common cause of cancer in women (excluding skin cancer), accounting for about one-third of all cancers in women. With 1 million new cases in the world each year, breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women and comprises 18% of all female cancers. Breast cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among Indian women, the first being cervical cancer. In women, almost one third (32%) of all cancers diagnosed are breast cancer. American Indian and Native Alaskan women have the lowest incidence, whereas white women have the highest incidence. Asian women have one-fifth to one-tenth the risk of breast cancer of women in North America or Western Europe. In India, 19 out of every 100,000 women suffer from breast cancer. The incidence of breast cancer has increased over the past four decades. This chapter aims to discuss the etiopathogenesis, clinical aspects, and diagnostic modalities of breast cancer.