The ABCs of Breast Cancer Guide

Breast Facts

The Breast and Breast Cancer	Benign Breast Conditions (Benign Breast Disease)
Introduction Structure and function of the breasts What is cancer? What is breast cancer? Invasive cancer Carcinoma in situ What are the warning signs of breast cancer? Breast facts for men Breast cancer statistics	What are benign breast conditions (benign breast disease)? Hyperplasia Cysts Fibroadenomas

Risk Factors and Prevention

Factors that Increase Breast Cancer Risk

Other Issues Related to Breast Cancer Risk

Introduction Being female Getting older Inherited genetic mutations Carcinoma in situ Family history of breast, ovarian or prostate cancer High breast density on mammogram Radiation exposure in youth Benign breast disease (hyperplasia) High levels of estrogen in the blood Personal history of breast cancer Menopause at age 55 or older Not having children or having first child after age 30 High bone density Overweight/ weight gain High socioeconomic status Ashkenazi Jewish heritage Drinking alcohol Lack of exercise Postmenopausal hormone use First period before age 12 Current or recent use of birth control pills Being tall Not breastfeeding Risk factors summary table of relative risks

Understanding risk Breast cancer risk factors table Understanding breast cancer prevention Healthy behaviors Race and ethnicity Gene mutations and genetic testing Options for women at higher risk (tamoxifen and other choices) Emerging areas in estimating risk Factors under study Factors that do not increase risk Questions for your provider References

Early Detection and Screening

Screening Tests	Screening Recommendations	Other Issues Related to Early Detection and Screening
Mammography Digital mammography MRI Clinical breast exam Breast self-exam	For the general population For women with special risk factors	The mammography debate Following up an abnormal mammogram Following up an abnormal clinical breast exam Low-cost and free mammograms Racial/ethnic issues in screening Quality of screening tests Emerging areas in early detection Questions for your provider References

Diagnosis

Types of Biopsies	Understanding a Pathology Report	Factors That Affect Treatment Decisions and Prognosis	Other Issues Related to Diagnosis
Types of biopsies Needle biopsies Core needle biopsy Fine needle aspiration Surgical biopsies Excisional biopsy Incisional biopsy Deciding between biopsies How can a biopsy miss breast cancer?	Introduction Contents of a pathology report	Introduction Lymph node status Tumor size Tumor grade Tumor type Hormone receptors HER2/neu proliferation rate Tests for metastases Oncotype Dx	Inflammatory breast cancer Paget’s disease Staging of breast cancer Emerging areas in diagnosis Questions for your provider References

Treatment

Types of Treatment	Treatment Options: Breast Cancer Types	Other Issues Related to Care
Surgery Radiation Chemotherapy Chemotherapy drugs Tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, and other hormonal therapies Targeted therapies Trastuzumab (Herceptin) Emerging therapies	Treatment Options for Different Types of Breast Cancer Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) Early breast cancer (stage I and II) Locally advanced / inflammatory breast cancer (stage III) Metastatic breast cancer (stage IV) Male breast cancer Breast cancer during pregnancy	Factors that affect treatment options Things to consider before beginning treatment Young women and breast cancer Clinical trials The return of cancer after treatment (recurrence) Breast reconstruction Getting good care Insurance and other financial issues References

After Treatment

Common Concerns of Women Living With Breast Cancer	Other Issues Related to Living With Cancer
Fear of getting cancer again Lymphedema Sex and sexuality Having children after breast cancer Postmenopausal hormones Concern for family members	Medical care after treatment Coping with stress Healthy weight and diet Being a young survivor Questions for your provider References

Support

Types of Support for Women With Breast Cancer	Other Issues Related To Social Support
Introduction Support groups Health care providers Spiritual advisors or religious organizations Hospice	Benefits of social support Sources of support for spouses, partners and other loved ones Finding local sources of support Depression References

Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies

CAM Therapies		Issues in CAM
Acupressure Acupuncture Acustimulation Astragalus Art therapy Astragalus Ayurveda Black cohosh Calcium Chinese herbal medicine Coenzyme Q10 Echinacea Essiac Flaxseed/Flaxseed oil Focusing Folate Ginger Ginkgo Biloba Ginseng Green tea Guided imagery Hydrazine sulfate Hypnosis Macrobiotic diet Maitake Massage Meditation Melatonin Milk thistle Mistletoe Music therapy Niacin Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils) Organic food	Pet therapy Physical therapy Polysaccharide K (PSK) Prayer Probiotics Psychotherapy Qi gong Quercetin Reiki Reishi Relaxation therapy Resveratrol Selenium Shark cartilage Shiitake Soy St. John’s wort Tai chi Therapeutic touch Traditional Chinese medicine Turmeric (Curcum) Vitamin A Vitamin B6 Vitamin B12 Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Yoga Zinc	Introduction Major Categories of complementary therapies Who’s using CAM? Why do people use complementary therapies? Working with health care providers: Shared decision-making The importance of scientific evidence Safety and CAM Finding a CAM provider Clinical trials of CAM Seven tips on CAM Questions to ask your provider References

Breast Cancer Research

Research Tables (by general topic)	Other Issues Related To Breast Cancer Research
Risk factors Risk-lowering drugs Early detection and screening Diagnosis and prognostic factors Treatment Support Getting good care After treatment	How to read a research table Finding individual studies Different types of research studies Large studies and statistical power Glossary References

Resources

About Breast Cancer Topics		Other Issues
Risk factors and prevention Early detection and screening Treatment Complementary cancer therapies	Getting good care Living with breast cancer Support Financing issues	Using the Internet to find health information