Encyclopedia > Breast cancer

Article Content

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the commonest forms of cancer. 99% of cases occur in women, but men can also develop breast cancer (see sex and illness).

As with other cancers, the treatment is one or more of chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation treatment. The basic surgical options are mastectomy--removal of the breast--and lumpectomy[?], which excises the tumor and a relatively small area of surrounding tissue.

A few studies purport to show a statistical link between breast cancer and abortion. Other studies show no such link. Some scientists theorise that abortion interupts the pregnancy cycle when the breasts are slightly swollen and this increased breast size increases the risks of breast cancer.