One in every eight American women will have breast cancer. Are you the one?
Download this free informational resource to help you understand breast cancer and the procedures and treatments available to you at Connecticut’s largest breast program.
Connecticut has the second highest rate of breast cancer in the country
Breast cancer – which, with skin cancer, is the most common in American women – is a group of malignant or cancerous cells that form a mass of tissue called a tumor in the breast.
Early detection of breast cancer is the key to saving lives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that, while the rate of breast cancer diagnosis stayed the same from 2003 to 2012, deaths caused by the disease decreased almost 2 percent a year in the same timeframe. We are getting better at detecting and treating breast cancer so more women survive and return to their lives.
Family history can increase your risk of breast cancer, especially if you carry the genetic mutations BRCA1 and BRCA2. Talk with your doctor about being tested if you have family members who have had breast or ovarian cancer. Other risk factors for breast cancer include: weight fluctuations; poor diet; lack of exercise; use of birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy; alcohol consumption; having dense breasts; and remaining childless or having your first child after the age of 35.
At Hartford HealthCare’s Cancer Institute, our goal is to discover breast cancer early enough that it can be treated efficiently and you can return to your life quickly and happily. Our care is available close to home with locations across the state to help connect our patients to a broader range of cutting-edge treatments and clinical trials.
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Download your comprehensive breast cancer guide
Your privacy is important to us. Please review the Privacy Policy for more information.
Three Common Types of Breast Cancer
1Invasive ductal carcinoma
The most common type of breast cancer, this is when abnormal cells in the milk ducts of the breast penetrate the walls of the ducts and start growing into the breast’s fatty tissue.2Invasive lobular carcinoma
This cancer originates in the breast’s lobules, or the milk-producing glands. This does not necessarily mean you have breast cancer, but the condition increases the risk that you will develop it.3Ductal carcinoma in situ
This non-invasive or pre-invasive cancer develops “in place,” or “in situ,” with abnormal cells in the breast’s milk ducts.
Taking Charge of Your Breast Health
Breast cancer is linked to factors you can control – unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, drinking too much alcohol or taking hormone replacement therapy – and others you cannot, such as race (white women are more likely to get it than African American, Asian or Hispanic women), age (menopausal women are more likely than young or older women) and family history. Taking charge of your breast health means taking steps to lower your risk by changing the risk factors you can and understanding the impact of your genetic makeup on the disease.
Screening and Diagnosis
The best way to survive breast cancer is to find it early, when it is most treatable. Screening techniques such as breast self-exams and regular mammograms, plus more advanced imaging tests like breast ultrasound and breast MRI scans, all help.