Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. Breast cancer, also called breast carcinoma, kills more women in the United States than any cancer except lung cancer.  Over 180,000 new cases of breast cancer were reported in the U.S. in 2008.  Breast occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.  Less than 1% of all cases of breast cancer occur in men.

Types of breast cancer
Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in the body grow out of control. There are different kinds of breast cancer that are determined by which cells in the breast turn into cancer.  Breast cancer forms in tissues of the breast, usually in the ducts (the tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and the lobules (the glands that make milk).  Common kinds of breast cancer include:

1. Ductal carcinoma - The most common kind of breast cancer which begins in the milk or breast ducts cells.

• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) - Abnormal cancer cells are only in the lining of the milk ducts, and have not spread to other tissues in the breast.
• Invasive ductal carcinoma - Abnormal cancer cells break through the ducts and spread into other parts of the breast tissue or spread to other parts of the body.

2. Lobular carcinoma - Cancer cells begin in the lobes, or lobules, of the breast.

• Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) - Cancer cells are found only in the breast lobules and does not spread to other tissues very often.
• Invasive lobular carcinoma. - Cancer cells spread from the lobules to the breast tissues that are close by and can also spread to other parts of the body.