breast cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells within the breast grow uncontrollably there are different kinds of breast cancer which are identified by the part of the breast tissue that becomes cancerous a breast is made up of three main parts the lobules which are the glands that produce milk the ducts which are tubes that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple and the fibrous and fatty tissue that connects everything most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules breast cancer can even spread outside the breast to other parts of the body through blood vessels and lymph nodes when a cancer spreads outside of its original body part that cancer has metastasized breast cancer affects one in eight women in the United States breast cancer also affects males although certainly not as common there were about 2,500 new cases in men during the year 2018 risk factors for breast cancer include having a family history of breast cancer inheriting a cancer gene mutation such as the brca1 or 2 mutation obesity not having children heavy alcohol consumption smoking and specific types of hormone use some symptoms of breast cancer include breast skin changes such as redness or swelling changes the appearance of the nipple non milky discharge from the breast breast pain or the presence of a lump some types of breast cancer are not associated with any symptoms in its early stage and are only identified at the time of mammogram screening for this reason it is important that women present for screening mammograms generally it is advised that women be offered screening mammograms yearly beginning at the age of 40 your screening recommendations may change depending on your individual risk of breast cancer you