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Is It Possible To Get Breast Cancer At 15

What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor

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If you have benign breast disease, you may want to ask your healthcare provider:

  • What is the best treatment for me?
  • Am I at risk for more breast lumps?
  • How frequently should I get a mammogram or other cancer screening?
  • How can I lower my risk of breast cancer?
  • Should I use a different birth control method?
  • Can I use hormone replacement therapy?
  • Should I look out for signs of complications?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Its hard not to panic when you discover a breast lump. Fortunately, most lumps arent cancerous. Your healthcare provider can order the appropriate tests to determine whats causing benign breast disease. Most people dont need treatment lumps go away on their own. If you have a benign condition that increases your chances of developing breast cancer later on, talk to your provider about preventive measures and screenings.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 06/22/2020.

References

How Much Do Anastrozole And Exemestane Lower The Risk Of Breast Cancer

Studies have shown that both anastrozole and exemestane can lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at increased risk of the disease.

In one large study, taking anastrozole for five years lowered the risk of developing estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer by 53 percent. In another study, taking exemestane for three years lowered the risk of developing estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer by 65 percent.

The most common side effects seen with anastrazole and exemestane are joint pains, decreased bone density, and symptoms of menopause .

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/31/2018.

References

When To Seek Medical Care

Breast lumps ideally should be checked about one week after your period starts. Fibrocystic changes in the breast are usually irregular and mobile, and you may find more than one lump. Cancerous tumors are usually hard and firm and do not typically move a great deal.

  • You have any abnormal discharge from your nipples.
  • Breast pain is making it difficult for you to function each day.
  • You have prolonged, unexplained breast pain.
  • You have any other associated symptoms that you are worried about. You should see a doctor if you experience any changes in your breasts.
  • Redness
  • A mass or tender lump in the breast that does not disappear after nursing
  • Changes in the skin
  • Any of these symptoms with or without fever
  • If you are breastfeeding, you should call your doctor if you develop any symptoms of breast infection so that treatment may be started promptly.
  • Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Breast Cancer

    How Are Breast Lumps And Pain Diagnosed

    If you find a breast mass or lump, you should schedule an appointment with your health care professional who will do a breast examination to check your breasts for irregularities, dimpling, tightened skin, lumps, inflamed or tender areas, and nipple discharge. The areas of each breast and underarms will be examined.

    If your doctor finds a lump at this time, you may have a re-examination in two to three weeks. If it is still present, then your doctor may recommend some further testing. The ideal time for the breast examination is seven to nine days after your period.

    If the physical examination is normal and no mass is found, laboratory and imaging tests are not usually necessary in women younger than 35 years. Women older than 35 years should probably still have a mammogram unless they have had a mammogram in the past 12 months.

  • Ultrasound: If a lump is found, an ultrasound scan helps distinguish between a fluid-filled sac in the breast and a solid lump. This distinction is important because cysts are usually not treated, but a solid lump must be biopsied to rule out cancer. In a breast biopsy, a piece of the lump is taken out and tested for cancer.
  • Aspiration: If a cyst-like lump is found, fluid may be drawn out of it by suction with a syringe and needle. Examination of the fluid and repeat exams will help your doctor decide what other tests to do.
  • Fine needle aspiration: Special techniques of aspiration may be used on certain masses.
  • What Is Benign Breast Disease

    First symptoms of breast cancer, IAMMRFOSTER.COM

    If you feel a lump in your breast, your first thought may be that you have breast cancer. Fortunately, a majority of breast lumps are benign, meaning theyre not cancerous.

    Both women and men can develop benign breast lumps. This condition is known as benign breast disease. While these breast changes arent cancerous or life-threatening, they may increase your risk of developing breast cancer later on.

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    How Is Breast Cancer Treated

    As in women, treatment for breast cancer in men depends on how big the tumor is and how far it has spread. Treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy. For more information, see the National Cancer Institutes Male Breast Cancer Treatment.external icon

    Take Action To Change Young Adult Breast Cancer Statistics

    When all young adults affected by breast cancer work together, we can raise awareness, improve our representation in research and make each other stronger. We are dedicated to these goals, working to turn our unique challenges into opportunities for shared success. Join the movement! Become an advocate for young women with breast cancer.

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    Living With Breast Cancer

    Being diagnosed with breast cancer can affect daily life in many ways, depending on what stage it’s at and the treatment you will have.

    How people cope with the diagnosis and treatment varies from person to person. There are several forms of support available, if you need it.

    Forms of support may include:

    • family and friends, who can be a powerful support system
    • communicating with other people in the same situation
    • finding out as much as possible about your condition
    • not trying to do too much or overexerting yourself
    • making time for yourself

    Find out more about living with breast cancer.

    Myth : A Small Lump Is Less Likely To Be Cancer Than A Large Lump

    Breast cancer screenings still important

    Breast lumps come in all sizes, and size doesn’t affect the odds that it’s cancer, says Melissa Scheer, MD, a breast-imaging specialist at Manhattan Diagnostic Radiology in New York.

    Whenever you feel a lump that’s new or unusual, even if it’s tiny, see your doctor. Even small lumps can be aggressive cancers.

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    Unique Challenges For Young Adults

    Breast cancer in young adults is just different. We are at a different phase of our lives and encounter unique challenges compared to older persons. These challenges may significantly impact our quality and length of life. Some of the unique challenges and issues young adults face:

    • The possibility of early menopause and sexual dysfunction brought on by breast cancer treatment
    • Fertility issues, because breast cancer treatment can affect a womanâs ability and plans to have children
    • Many young women are raising small children while enduring treatment and subsequent side effects
    • Young breast cancer survivors have a higher prevalence of psychosocial issues such as anxiety and depression13
    • Questions about pregnancy after diagnosis
    • Heightened concerns about body image, especially after breast cancer-related surgery and treatment
    • Whether married or single, intimacy issues may arise for women diagnosed with breast cancer
    • Challenges to financial stability due to workplace issues, lack of sufficient health insurance and the cost of cancer care

    How Is Benign Breast Disease Managed Or Treated

    Most types of benign breast disease dont require treatment. Your healthcare provider may recommend treatment if you have atypical hyperplasia or a different kind of benign breast disease that increases your future risk of breast cancer. If you experience pain or discomfort or have an increased cancer risk, these treatments can help:

    • Fine needle aspiration to drain fluid-filled cysts.
    • Surgery to remove lumps .
    • Oral antibiotics for infections like mastitis.

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    Health Disparities In Young African Americans

    In addition to these unique issues, research has shown that young African American women face even greater challenges.

    • African American women under age 35 have rates of breast cancer two times higher than caucasian women under age 35.14
    • African Americans under age 35 die from breast cancer three times as often as caucasian women of the same age.14
    • Researchers believe that access to healthcare and the quality of healthcare available may explain these disparities. But scientists continue to investigate.
    • Research also shows that young African Americans are more likely to get aggressive forms of breast cancer than anyone else.14

    What Are The Stages Of Breast Cancer

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    There are two different staging systems for breast cancer. One is called anatomic staging while the other is prognostic staging. The anatomic staging is defined by the areas of the body where the breast cancer is found and helps to define appropriate treatment. The prognostic staging helps medical professionals communicate how likely a patient is to be cured of the cancer assuming that all appropriate treatment is given.

    The anatomic staging system is as follows:

    Stage 0 breast disease is when the disease is localized to the milk ducts .

    Stage I breast cancer is smaller than 2 cm across and hasn’t spread anywhere including no involvement in the lymph nodes.

    Stage II breast cancer is one of the following:

    • The tumor is less than 2 cm across but has spread to the underarm lymph nodes .
    • The tumor is between 2 and 5 cm .
    • The tumor is larger than 5 cm and has not spread to the lymph nodes under the arm .

    Stage III breast cancer is also called “locally advanced breast cancer.” The tumor is any size with cancerous lymph nodes that adhere to one another or to surrounding tissue . Stage IIIB breast cancer is a tumor of any size that has spread to the skin, chest wall, or internal mammary lymph nodes .

    Stage IV breast cancer is defined as a tumor, regardless of size, that has spread to areas away from the breast, such as bones, lungs, liver or brain.

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    Second Cancers After Breast Cancer

    Breast cancer survivors can be affected by a number of health problems, but often a major concern is facing cancer again. Cancer that comes back after treatment is called a recurrence. But some cancer survivors develop a new, unrelated cancer later. This is called a second cancer.

    Women whove had breast cancer can still get other cancers. Although most breast cancer survivors dont get cancer again, they are at higher risk for getting some types of cancer, including:

    • A second breast cancer
    • Salivary gland cancer
    • Melanoma of the skin
    • Acute myeloid leukemia

    The most common second cancer in breast cancer survivors is another breast cancer. The new cancer can occur in the opposite breast, or in the same breast for women who were treated with breast-conserving surgery .

    Types Of Breast Cancer

    There are several different types of breast cancer, which develop in different parts of the breast.

    Breast cancer is often divided into either:

    • non-invasive breast cancer found in the ducts of the breast which has not spread into the breast tissue surrounding the ducts. Non-invasive breast cancer is usually found during a mammogram and rarely shows as a breast lump.
    • invasive breast cancer where the cancer cells have spread through the lining of the ducts into the surrounding breast tissue. This is the most common type of breast cancer.

    Other, less common types of breast cancer include:

    • invasive lobular breast cancer
    • inflammatory breast cancer

    It’s possible for breast cancer to spread to other parts of the body, usually through the blood or the axillary lymph nodes. These are small lymphatic glands that filter bacteria and cells from the mammary gland.

    If this happens, it’s known as secondary, or metastatic, breast cancer.

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    Where Do These Numbers Come From

    The American Cancer Society relies on information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute , to provide survival statistics for different types of cancer.

    The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates for breast cancer in the United States, based on how far the cancer has spread. The SEER database, however, does not group cancers by AJCC TNM stages . Instead, it groups cancers into localized, regional, and distant stages:

    • Localized: There is no sign that the cancer has spread outside of the breast.
    • Regional: The cancer has spread outside the breast to nearby structures or lymph nodes.
    • Distant: The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body such as the lungs, liver or bones.

    Looking For More Of An Introduction

    Tumor Marker Tests During Breast Cancer Follow Up

    If you would like more of an introduction, explore these related items. Please note that these links will take you to other sections on Cancer.Net:

    • ASCO AnswersFact Sheet: Read a 1-page fact sheet that offers an introduction to metastatic breast cancer. This free fact sheet is available as a PDF, so it is easy to print.
    • ASCO AnswersGuide:Get this free 52-page booklet that helps you better understand breast cancer. The booklet is available as a PDF, so it is easy to print.
    • Cancer.Net Patient Education Video: View a short video led by an ASCO expert in metastatic breast cancer that provides basic information and areas of research.

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    Signs And Symptoms Of Inflammatory Breast Cancer

    Inflammatory breast cancer causes a number of signs and symptoms, most of which develop quickly , including:

    • Swelling of the skin of the breast
    • Redness involving more than one-third of the breast
    • Pitting or thickening of the skin of the breast so that it may look and feel like an orange peel
    • A retracted or inverted nipple
    • One breast looking larger than the other because of swelling
    • One breast feeling warmer and heavier than the other
    • A breast that may be tender, painful or itchy
    • Swelling of the lymph nodes under the arms or near the collarbone

    If you have any of these symptoms, it does not mean that you have IBC, but you should see a doctor right away. Tenderness, redness, warmth, and itching are also common symptoms of a breast infection or inflammation, such as mastitis if youre pregnant or breastfeeding. Because these problems are much more common than IBC, your doctor might suspect infection at first as a cause and treat you with antibiotics.

    Treatment with antibiotics may be a good first step, but if your symptoms dont get better in 7 to 10 days, more tests need to be done to look for cancer. Let your doctor know if it doesn’t help, especially if the symptoms get worse or the affected area gets larger. The possibility of IBC should be considered more strongly if you have these symptoms and are not pregnant or breastfeeding, or have been through menopause. Ask to see a specialist if youre concerned.

    Other Teenage Breast Changes

    Plenty of changes happen to your breasts that are not cancer. Most breast lumps in teenage girls are fibroadenomas, which are noncancerous. These are caused by an overgrowth of connective tissue in the breast.

    Fibroadenomas are the reason for 91% of all solid breast masses in girls younger than 19 years old. The lump is usually hard and rubbery, and you would be able to move it around with your fingers.

    Other less common breast lumps in teens include cysts, which are noncancerous fluid-filled sacs. A breast cyst often feels smooth and soft. If you press on a cyst, it will feel a little like a water balloon.

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    Breast Cancer Statistics In Young Adults

    Although breast cancer in young adults is rare, more than 250,000 living in the United States today were diagnosed under age 40. In young adults, breast cancer tends to be diagnosed in its later stages. It also tends to be more aggressive. Young adults have a higher mortality rate. As well as a higher risk of metastatic recurrence .

    Treatment Of Breast Cancer In Teens

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    Doctors treat secretory adenocarcinoma by surgically cutting out the cancer while sparing as much breast tissue as possible.

    Doctors consider chemotherapy and radiation on a case-by-case basis. The risks these treatments pose to young, developing bodies may outweigh the benefits.

    Depending on the type of therapy and how long it lasts, it can affect your fertility and increase your chances of other cancers.

    You can still breastfeed after breast or nipple surgery. However, some people may produce less milk than others.

    85 percent . This means that theyre 85 percent as likely to live another 5 years as 15- to 19-year-old U.S. girls without breast cancer.

    The 5-year relative survival rate for women 20 years old and older who were diagnosed between 2011 to 2017 is 90.3 percent .

    Because breast cancer is so rare in teens, doctors and teens may adopt a watch-and-wait approach, and delay treatment. That may account for the lower survival rate for teens with breast cancer compared with adult women with the condition.

    Breast cancer is extremely rare in teens, but you should still check abnormalities. Adopting certain habits now can also help prevent breast cancer later. These include:

    Also Check: Breast Cancer Advanced Stage Symptoms

    Can Exercise Help Reduce My Risk Of Developing Breast Cancer

    Exercise is a big part of a healthy lifestyle. It can also be a useful way to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer in your postmenopausal years. Women often gain weight and body fat during menopause. People with higher amounts of body fat can be at a higher risk of breast cancer. However, by reducing your body fat through exercise, you may be able to lower your risk of developing breast cancer.

    The general recommendation for regular exercise is about 150 minutes each week. This would mean that you work out for about 30 minutes, five days each week. However, doubling the amount of weekly exercise to 300 minutes can greatly benefit postmenopausal women. The longer duration of exercise allows for you to burn more fat and improve your heart and lung function.

    The type of exercise you do can vary the main goal is get your heart rate up as you exercise. Its recommended that your heart rate is raised about 65 to 75% of your maximum heart rate during exercise. You can figure out your maximum heart rate by subtracting your current age from 220. If you are 65, for example, your maximum heart rate is 155.

    Aerobic exercise is a great way to improve your heart and lung function, as well as burn fat. Some aerobic exercises you can try include:

    • Walking.
    • Dancing.
    • Hiking.

    Remember, there are many benefits to working more exercise into your weekly routine. Some benefits of aerobic exercise can include:

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