• Breast cancer is a phenomenon of the uncontrolled proliferation of breast epithelial cells under the effect of various carcinogenic factors. The symptoms in its early period include breast lump,nipple discharge and lymphadenectasis in axillas. When coming to the late period, cancer cells migration will lead to visceral diseases and even threaten patient’s life.
• Breast cancer is also knows as pink killer,it ranks first in female malignant tumor, while male breast caner is seldom seen. With the improvement of the medical level, breast cancer has become the solid tumor with the best therapeutic outcome.

• Non-Invasive Breast Cancer

It is also known as preinvasive carcinoma, which means that the lesion is limited within the primary point with no migration. The cancer can be divided into lobular carcinoma in situ, ductal carcinoma in situ and papillary eczema-like breast cancer, and it has a favorable prognosis.

• Invasive Breast Cancer

It refers to the facts that the cancer cells widely infiltrate the surrounding tissues and easy to migrate. The cancer can be divided into invasive non-specific carcinoma and invasive specific carcinoma . The treatment should combine the prognosis with other factors.

• Invasive Non-Specific Carcinoma

It includes invasive ductal carcinoma,invasive lobular carcinoma,scirrhous carcinoma,carcinoma simplex and so on. It is the kind most commonly seen and accounts for almost 80% in invasive breast cancer.

• Invasive Specific Carcinoma

It includes papillary carcinoma, apocrine carcinoma,squamous-cell carcinoma,medullary carcinoma, adenoid cystadenocarcinoma, mucinous adenocarcinoma and so on.

• The cause of breast cancer is yet unclear. Until now, scientists have not found the exact cause of the breast cancer , but they have found many relevant high risk factors that make people suffer breast cancer. With constant accumulation of these risk factors,the risk for people to suffer breast cancer will become higher.
• The mammary gland is the targeted organ of various endocrine hormones, among which oestrone and estradiol are directly related to the attack of breast cancer. Factors such as early menarche( earlier that 12 years old), late menopause(later than 55 years old), infertility, late childbearing age(later than 30 years old),short duration of breastfeeding and estrogen replacement therapy after menopause may increase the amount or lengthen the period of the estrogen exposure, which is closely related to breast cancer.
• Besides, genetic factor is also highly relative to breast cancer. For people whose first degree relative (e.g. parents, children,brothers and sisters) has had the breast cancer, their risk to get the cancer is usually 2-3 times higher than others. Some gene mutations will also increase the risk of having breast cancer. Moreover, some physical factors such as having chest radiotherapy in childhood will also lead to breast cancer.

In addition to high risk factors mentioned above, there are also some modes of life that are related to the attack of breast cancer. For example, overnutrition, obesity,high fat diet and excessive drinking.

• Breast Lump
  Breast lump is the most commonly seen symptom during the early period of breast cancer. Mammary gland has a cross section and the lumps are at the upper side and mostly unilateral, hard,irregular in margins, rough in surface and not easily to be pushed away. Mostly, the breast cancer is with painless lumps, only few with dull pains and stabbing pains to different extents.
• Abnormality of Breast Skin
  Breast lump always invades surrounding local tissues and leads to various signs. When the breast lump invades the ligament between the gland and the skin, sags will occurs due to the traction posed under the skin.The sag is called dimple sign because of its dimple-like shape.
• Abnormality of Nipples and Mammary Areola
  When the breast lump invade the lower region of the nipples or mammary areola, the nipples may be in traction to be sunken or deflecting, even concave in mammary areola. Special kinds of breast cancer such as nipple eczema-like carcinoma can be manifested as pruritus on one-side nipple, mammary areola and the skin surrounding them, always looks like with red-patches eczema with exudative scab and cuticularized furfuration on the surface. Ulceration always happens at this time.
• Nipple Discharge
  For some breast cancer patients, their nipple discharge may occur in one side at their non-physiological state(e.g. pregnancy, suckling period) and the liquid nature are always blood fluid, plasmic fluid or just water-like fluid.
• Lymphadenectasis In Axillas
  When falling off, the breast cancer cell may invade surrounded lymph-vessels and even migrate to local lymph draining area. At the early period, the symptoms are always lymphadenectasis in Ipsilateral axilla and the tumid lymph glands can still move.
  But then, the lymph glands will grow larger till the eventual integration and fixation. As the disease progresses, migrated lymph glands can be felt in areas of clavicle and contralateral axilla.

Operation is still the first choice of breast cancer patients. People who are in poor general body condition, suffering major organ disease that too old and vulnerable to be tolerant are not allowed to accept the operation. The choice of operation method should according to the comprehensive assessment in terms of the breast cancer stage and the physical condition of the patients.

• Breast-Conserving Surgery
  Scope of surgical resection should be 1-2 cm around the tumor. This operation is suitable for the patients who need to conserve breast at the early period of the breast cancer and and the patients with the tumor of less than 3cm in maximum diameter at stage II of the breast cancer. The operation will leave appropriate breast volume and good breast shape.
• Total Mastectomy
  The operation aim covers the whole breast, including the axillary tail and the anadesma of pectoralis major. It is suitable for the patients who has preinvasive carcinoma, microcarcinoma and are too old and vulnerable to accept radical operation.
• Radical and More Extensive Radical Mammectomy
  The operation aim of radical mammectomy covers the whole breast, pectoralis major,pectoralis minor muscle and all lymph glands in axillas. Besides, more extensive radical mammectomy also focuses on arteries and veins inside thorax and the surrounding lymph glands. Due to the large scale, the latter operation is seldom given recently.
• Ameliorated Radical Mammectomy
  Difference between radical mammectomy and ameliorated radical mammectomy is whether to resect pectoralis major and(or) pectoralis minor muscle. As the latter one retains the pectoralis major and keeps good postoperative appearance of the breast, it is the most commonly used operation currently.
• Radiotherapy
  It is a local-part therapy to kill cancer cells with radioactive rays. Usually, the therapy is used combining with operation and chemotherapeutics to reduce the tumor migration and recrudescence and make the patient survival. For patients at the later stage of breast cancer, palliative radiotherapy may be a good choice.