How does breast cancer develop?
From a single cell to a tumor, explained simply.
Every cell carries a blueprint inside it. Normally, cells divide in a controlled way and die off in an orderly fashion at the end of their life. With cancer, this mechanism breaks down: because of changes in the genetic material, individual cells divide without any brakes and form a tumor.
Such changes usually arise over the course of a lifetime, by chance or encouraged by risk factors like age, hormones, or lifestyle. Only a small share is inherited from birth. BRCA and family risk
How a tumor behaves depends on its biology. Some grow slowly, others more quickly. The characteristics of a tumor only become clear from the tissue analysis after a biopsy. These characteristics also determine the treatment later on. Tumor subtypes
This content is for information only and does not replace medical advice.