Our bodies constantly renew themselves by making new cells. Normally, this process is orderly. Breast cancer appears when that order breaks down: a single cell starts copying itself without the usual checks, and the excess cells build up into a lump.
Key points to understand
- A tumour is simply a clump of cells growing where it should not
- A tumour can be benign (harmless) or malignant (cancerous)
- Cancer cells can invade nearby tissue and, later, other organs
- The earlier cancer is detected, the more treatment options there are
Most breast lumps are not cancer. But only a doctor can confirm what a change really is — never stay in the dark.