NHS & WHO sourced
About Breast Cancer
21 in-depth guides covering every aspect of breast cancer — symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, screening, genetics and life after cancer. All clinical content sourced exclusively from the NHS and World Health Organization.
What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to grow uncontrollably. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide — and caught early, it is highly treatable.
Read guide →Breast Cancer Symptoms — Lumps, Signs and What to Check
Knowing the warning signs of breast cancer can save your life. The NHS recommends the Touch–Look–Check (TLC) approach to staying breast aware.
Read guide →Breast Cancer Causes and Risk Factors
Breast cancer has no single cause. Risk is shaped by a combination of factors — some unavoidable, some within your control.
Read guide →Types of Breast Cancer Explained
Breast cancer is not a single disease. There are several distinct types, each with different characteristics, treatment approaches and prognoses.
Read guide →Breast Cancer Stages and Grades
Staging describes how far breast cancer has spread; grading describes how abnormal the cancer cells look. Both inform treatment decisions and outlook.
Read guide →How Breast Cancer is Diagnosed
Diagnosing breast cancer involves physical examination, imaging and a tissue biopsy — a process called triple assessment that is usually completed within the NHS two-week-wait pathway.
Read guide →Breast Cancer Treatment Options
Breast cancer treatment is tailored to each individual. Most people have a combination of treatments decided by a multidisciplinary team (MDT).
Read guide →Mammogram and NHS Breast Screening — What to Expect
The NHS invites all women aged 50–71 for a free mammogram every three years. Attending your screening appointment can detect cancer before you have any symptoms.
Read guide →Breast Self-Examination — the TLC Method
Regular breast self-examination helps you become familiar with your normal so you can spot changes early. There is no single right way — the goal is consistency.
Read guide →Breast Cancer in Young Women (Under 50)
Although breast cancer is more common after 50, around 20% of cases in the UK occur in women under 50. Cancers in younger women may behave differently and need careful specialist management.
Read guide →Secondary (Metastatic) Breast Cancer
Secondary breast cancer occurs when cancer cells travel from the original tumour to other parts of the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
Read guide →Breast Cancer in Men
Breast cancer in men is rare — less than 1% of all UK cases — but it does occur. All men have breast tissue and can develop breast cancer at any age.
Read guide →Life After Breast Cancer Treatment
Completing breast cancer treatment is a milestone, but survivorship brings its own challenges — physical, emotional and practical. You are not alone.
Read guide →Preventing Breast Cancer — What the Evidence Says
No approach can guarantee prevention of breast cancer, but a number of lifestyle changes — and medical interventions for high-risk individuals — can meaningfully reduce your risk.
Read guide →DCIS — Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
DCIS is Stage 0 — abnormal cells inside the milk ducts that have not broken through the duct wall. It is not yet invasive cancer, but treatment is usually recommended.
Read guide →Breast Cancer Genes, BRCA and Family History
Inherited gene mutations account for 5–10% of all breast cancers. The most significant are BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2 — testing is available on the NHS for those at high risk.
Read guide →Breast Cancer Surgery — Your Options Explained
Surgery is the cornerstone of breast cancer treatment for most people. The main choices are breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) and mastectomy, with or without reconstruction.
Read guide →Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined by what it lacks — ER, PR and HER2 receptors. This means standard hormone and targeted therapies do not work, but new treatments are improving outcomes.
Read guide →Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare but aggressive form that blocks lymph vessels in the skin, causing breast redness, swelling and warmth — without a lump.
Read guide →Breast Cancer Statistics — UK and Worldwide
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. The statistics reveal both extraordinary progress in high-income countries and a persistent crisis in low-income ones.
Read guide →Breast Cancer in South Asian Women
South Asian women in the UK have lower breast cancer incidence than white British women — but are significantly less likely to attend screening and more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage.
Read guide →Breast Cancer Survival Rates by Stage
Survival rates for breast cancer vary dramatically by stage. In the UK, Stage I has around 98% five-year survival; Stage IV around 26%. Understanding these figures helps women make sense of their diagnosis.
Read guide →HRT and Breast Cancer Risk
HRT slightly increases breast cancer risk for some types — but the absolute increase is small and varies by HRT type and duration. For most women under 60 with menopausal symptoms, NHS and NICE guidance indicates the benefits outweigh the risk.
Read guide →Breast Cancer Recurrence — Risk, Signs and Prevention
Breast cancer can return — locally, regionally or as distant metastases. Understanding your personal risk, completing recommended hormone therapy, staying alert to new symptoms and attending follow-up appointments all significantly reduce recurrence risk.
Read guide →Dense Breasts and Breast Cancer Risk
Dense breast tissue affects around 40% of women and has two important implications: it makes mammograms harder to read, and it independently raises breast cancer risk. Since September 2024, US law requires all mammography facilities to notify women of their breast density.
Read guide →Understanding breast cancer — the essentials
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide, with approximately 2.3 million new cases each year (WHO, 2022). It occurs when cells in the breast tissue grow uncontrollably, forming a tumour that can — in some cases — spread to other parts of the body.
The most important fact about breast cancer is that outcomes are determined primarily by how early it is detected. The NHS five-year survival rate for breast cancer found at Stage 1 is approximately 98%. For cancer detected at Stage 4, it is around 26%. This dramatic difference in survival is not primarily explained by different biology — it is explained by different timing.
In the UK, the NHS Breast Screening Programme invites all women aged 50–71 for a mammogram every three years, and widespread public health education means most women know to see their GP if they notice a breast change. The result is that the majority of UK breast cancer cases are found at an early, treatable stage.
In the low-income communities where Breast Cancer Awareness works — across South and South-East Asia — no equivalent screening infrastructure exists. Most women have never had a breast examination. Health literacy about breast cancer symptoms is low. Cultural barriers to discussing the female body compound the problem. By the time most women in these communities reach a hospital, the cancer has already advanced significantly.
This disparity — an 85% UK survival rate versus around 40% in low-income countries — is not a medical problem. It is a structural one. And structural problems can be solved with the right resources, in the right communities, delivered by the right people.
Frequently asked questions
What are the first signs of breast cancer? +
What is the survival rate for breast cancer? +
What causes breast cancer? +
How is breast cancer diagnosed? +
Can breast cancer be prevented? +
All clinical content on this page is sourced from the NHS (www.nhs.uk) and the World Health Organization (www.who.int). This content is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical guidance.
Knowledge is power. Access is everything.
Millions of women will never read a guide like this. Fund the community educators who bring this knowledge to them in person.
Donate Now