Breast cancer is the most common and leading cause of cancer-related death in women. One in 8 women is at risk for breast cancer and one in 26 women may die from breast cancer.

Breast cancer prevention:
• Monthly self-examination.
•  Annual mammography after the age of 40 (it has reduced mortality by 15%).
•  If the patient is less than 40 years old, a breast ultrasound is recommended.
•  Consult the oncologist for assessment of the mastography and/or ultrasound, as well as in case of noticing any tumor or abnormality in the breasts.

There are different risk factors:

1. Individual: age > 40 years old.
2. Hereditary: family member with breast cancer, mutations, or hereditary syndromes (breast-ovarian, Li-fraumeni, Cowden, Peutz Jeghers).
3. Related to proliferative lesions: breast fibroadenoma, radiated scar, breast papilloma, ductal hyperplasia, lobular hyperplasia, carcinoma in situ.
4. Endocrine: menarche (start of menses) before 12 years, menopause after 55 years, hormonal contraceptives, nulliparous patients or with first pregnancy after 30 years of age.
5. External: history of radiation.




However, up to 60% of breast cancer patients have no identifiable risk factors and only 5-10% have any hereditary history.

Breast cancer classification:
•  Based on the physical examination (review of the breast tumor and axillary nodes) and on the studies, the surgical oncologist assigns or preliminarily detects the stage of the tumor, which can range from stage I to IV.
•  There are two major histological groups of breast cancer: lobular and ductal. There is also a molecular classification based on the expression of hormone receptors and over-expression of the HER2 receptor.

Breast cancer treatment:
•  Once cancer is suspected, the surgical oncologist must perform a biopsy and request imaging studies to corroborate the diagnosis. When the diagnosis of breast cancer is corroborated and a stage is assigned, a type of treatment is offered, which nowadays is multimodal, meaning, it requires surgery, chemotherapy and sometimes radiotherapy.
•  Currently there are techniques in breast cancer surgery that allow us to be less radical and keep more breast tissue and aesthetics, additionally it is the most studied cancer molecularly and there are great advances in adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy, as well as radiotherapy

Breast cancer can be cured and has an excellent prognosis if detected early. It is advisable to visit an expert for a check-up.