Breast tumor
There are two types of breast cancer tumors
- Benign tumors = non-cancerous tumor
- Malignant tumor = cancerous tumor
Metastatic cancer is when cancer cells of a malignant tumor is spread to other parts of the body.
When dealing with breast cancer, tumors are often graded: low grade, intermediate grade and high grade.
Low grade tumors look more like normal tissue, high grade tumors look abnormal and less like normal tissue and tend to be more aggressive.
Tumor grades are not to be confused with cancer stages. There are individuals who make full recoveries at every stage and with even the highest grades of aggressive tumors.
Breast cancer spreads in three important ways
- Damaged cells can replicate themselves
- Body hormones and chemicals can accelerate the growth of the tumor
- Lymph and blood vessels can carry the cancer to others areas of the body
The management of breast cancer depends on various factors, including the stage of the cancer and the age of the patient.
Breast cancer is usually treated with surgery, which may be followed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or both.