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    • Cancer
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      • What Is Breast Cancer?
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      • Causes & Risks
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      • Different Breast Cancer Types
      • HER2-Positive and HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
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    • Living With Breast Cancer
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    • View Full Guide

    Risks, Prevention & Screening

    1. Causes & Risks

      1. What Causes Breast Cancer?

        The cause of breast cancer is unclear, but we know the main risks: being older and having breast cancer in your family.

      2. Breast Lumps

        You notice that something is different with your breast, and you find a lump. Get it checked by a doctor, but don't panic.

      3. What Are Genetic Breast Cancer Mutations?

        Chances are, your breast cancer isn't caused by a faulty gene. But in about 5% to 10% of cases, the cause is hereditary.

      4. Lifestyle Factors that Raise Breast Cancer Risk

        Some lifestyle factors may raise your chances for breast cancer. Having these traits doesn’t mean you’ll get the disease.

      5. Can Breast Implants Cause Breast Cancer?

        Breast implants don't cause or raise the risk of breast cancer. But women with breast implants have a higher risk of ALCL.

      6. Mirena and Breast Cancer

        Mirena may not be the best birth control choice if you have a history of breast cancer that is sensitive to progestin.

      7. Alcohol and Breast Cancer

        Hundreds of studies have shown that you’re more likely to get breast cancer if you drink alcohol.

      8. Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk

        Many studies have looked at the association between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer.

    2. Prevention

      1. How to Prevent Breast Cancer

        Doctors still are not certain how to prevent breast cancer. Early detection and treatment is still the best strategy.

      2. Evista for Breast Cancer Prevention

        Evista, or raloxifene, is a medication that's used to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer in post-menopausal women.

      3. Preventative Mastectomy

        In hopes to avoid future disease, some women at high risk for breast cancer opt to have both breasts surgically removed.

    3. Screening

      1. Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis

        The sooner breast cancer gets diagnosed, the better your treatment odds. It’s important to get mammograms as recommended.

      2. How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam

        It’s a good idea to get to know what’s normal for your breasts. But should you do a regular breast self-exam?

      3. What to Expect During a Doctor's Exam

        Clinical exams are important methods of early breast cancer detection and should be performed along with mammography.

      4. Breast Cancer and Mammograms

        Mammograms are part of a regular physical exam to provide a baseline reference or to check any changes in the breast.

      5. Digital Mammogram

        Film mammograms are saved on hard files. With the digital kind, the X-rays can be stored in a computer.

      6. Suspicious Mammogram Result

        Getting called back for additional mammogram views or a biopsy is common and doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer.

      7. What to Know About Your BI-RADS Score

        BI-RADS stands for Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. It is a tool used to rate the results of a mammogram test.

      8. What Does It Mean to Have Dense Breasts?

        Breast density isn’t something you can control. You don't need to treat it, and it often changes over time.

      9. What Is Tomosynthesis?

        Tomosynthesis is a kind of 3D mammogram. It uses 3-dimensional imaging used to look for breast cancers.

      10. Breast Cancer and Ductal Lavage

        Ductal lavage currently is performed only on women who have multiple breast cancer risk factors.

      11. Breast Ultrasound

        A breast ultrasound is a painless procedure that uses sound waves to make images of the inside of your breast.

      12. MRI for Breast Cancer

        A breast MRI is sometimes performed with a mammogram in women with at least a 20% lifetime risk of getting breast cancer.

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