Breast cancer is the second most common cancer (after skin cancer) in U.S. women, with approximately 211,000 cases expected to be diagnosed in 2005. It causes the death of more than 40,000 women each year, and is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. A woman's risk of developing breast cancer increases with age; more than three out of four breast cancer cases occur in women over age 50. Other risk factors include:

• A family history of breast cancer

• A prior history of breast cancer or certain other abnormalities of the breast tissue

• Increased exposure to the female hormone estrogen in any of three ways: having a first menstrual period before age 13, entering menopause after age 51 or using estrogen replacement therapy

• Never having been pregnant, or having a first pregnancy after age 30

• Being overweight, especially after menopause

• Drinking alcohol (cancer risk doubles with three or more drinks per day)

• Having a sedentary lifestyle with little regular exercise

Although breast cancer is much more common in women than in men, about 1,700 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in men in the United States, with 460 deaths.

Symptoms

Symptoms of breast cancer include:

• A lump or thickening in the breast or under the arm

• A clear or bloody discharge from the nipple

• Crusting or scaling of the nipple

• Inverted nipples

• Redness or swelling of the breast

• Dimpling on the breast skin resembling the texture of an orange

• A change in the contours of the breast, such as one being higher than the other

• A sore or ulcer on the skin of the breast that does not heal