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Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that forms in the breast cells, usually in those that line the ducts, while others take shape in the lobules, and the rest in other breast tissue. While women are mostly afflicted with breast cancer, men may get it as well.
Women with early-stage breast cancer usually do not feel pain, but some possible symptoms of breast cancer may include changes in how the breast or nipple feels and looks, tenderness, discharge, and the nipple turning inward into the breast. These symptoms are not necessarily due to cancer, as other health problems may also cause them. However, a woman should see her physician if she feels any breast pain or experiences any of the above symptoms.
After asking you some questions and doing a complete physical examination, your doctor may suggest further tests. These may include the following: mammogram, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and/or biopsy. Other noninvasive and invasive tests are done to determine if the cancer has spread to other places in the body.
Treatment options for breast cancer may include surgery (such as lumpectomy, mastectomy, and lymph node dissection), radiation therapy, targeted therapies, hormonal therapy, and chemotherapy.
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