Breast cancer
Breast cancer is a group of abnormal cells which continues to grow and multiply. Eventually these cells may form a lump in the breast. If the cancer is not removed or controlled the cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body and may eventually cause death.
Did you know?
- Women in Australia have a 1 in 8 risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime
- The risk of breast cancer increases with age
- A mammogram can detect up to 90% of breast cancers and is the only proven means of detecting breast cancer at this early stage
- Screening mammograms may detect a very small cancer, as small as a grain of rice, before you or your doctor can feel it
- Breast cancer cannot be prevented, but the earlier a breast cancer is detected the better the chance of successful treatment
- Breast cancer can also develop in men, but this is rare. Male breast cancer accounts for about 1% of all breast cancers
Are all breast lumps cancer?
No. 90% of breast lumps found are benign and quite harmless, that is, are NOT a breast cancer.
What causes breast cancer?
We do not know what causes breast cancer. Some risk factors identified as increasing your chances of developing breast cancer include:
- being a woman 50 years or over
- having a strong family history of breast cancer
- having previously been diagnosed with breast cancer
Related links
Useful resources to download
Useful links
Please note: By clicking on these links you will be taken to another website.
- National Breast Cancer Centre: information about breast health includes information about:
- living with breast cancer
- breast cancer types
- treatment options
- care after treatment
File Formats
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