Any cancer starting in the breast tissues is known as breast cancer. But breast cancer is subdivided further by category according to exactly where in the breast it started, and the course it took. Each kind has a unique set of risks and chances of survival. Thus, it's inaccurate to equate breast cancer with any specific survival risk without knowing much more about it. Answering the question, "what is breast cancer?" demands deeper understanding of complicated risk factors in its development.

The American Cancer Society's statistics show that one of every eight women, or about 12 percent, will learn she has breast cancer. Breast cancer is not as common as heart disease, but it is an illness that more people fear. There are many factors that can heighten the risk of developing breast cancer. Not all of the relationships between these factors are understood yet.

The risk factors for breast cancer are similar to the risk factors for other diseases with a genetic component. Such factors include family history, age, individual variation in genetics, and previous personal history of the disease. Lesser factors include environmental exposure to certain chemicals or radiation, obesity, and history of childbearing. Numerous other factors seem to play a role in the development of breast cancer, and breast cancer symptoms. However, seventy percent of women diagnosed with the disease have no clear risk factors.

The complex causes of breast cancer remain a subject of considerable research. New information regarding the risks for developing breast cancer are regularly uncovered and reported to health professionals, as well as the general public. A woman can now receive a personalized risk profile by using tools available online through major institutions studying the disease. The same sites offer important advice regarding risk reduction, the breast cancer symptoms to watch for, and other important breast cancer information.

As most people know, a lump is one of the most common breast cancer symptoms. Fortunately, most lumps found in breast tissue are simply benign lumps of non-cancerous tissue. Like malignant lumps, such benign lumps are referred to as tumors. Therefore, a person hearing the word tumor associated with a lump should not jump to conclusions.

Breast disease, for many women, is very treatable and preventable. For years, doctors have recommended that women avoid caffeine, high fat diets and so on, and even to take drugs with strong side effects. In some cases this helps, in others it doesn't.Recent research has offered new hope.