For more information from the National Cancer Institute about breast cancer, see the following:

• Breast Cancer Home Page ¹
• What You Need to Know About™ Breast Cancer ²
• Breast Cancer Prevention ³
• Breast Cancer Screening ⁴
• Understanding Cancer Series: Gene Testing ⁵
• Surgery Choices for Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer ⁶
• Genetic Testing for Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk: It's Your Choice ⁷
• Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Questions and Answers ⁸
• Preventive Mastectomy: Questions and Answers ⁹
• Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: Questions and Answers ¹⁰

For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, see the following:

• What You Need to Know About™ Cancer - An Overview ¹¹
• Understanding Cancer Series: Cancer ¹²
• Staging: Questions and Answers ¹³
• Chemotherapy and You: Support for People With Cancer ¹⁴
• Radiation Therapy and You: Support for People With Cancer ¹⁵
• Coping with Cancer ¹⁶
• Support and Resources ¹⁷
• Cancer Library ¹⁸
• Information For Survivors/Caregivers/Advocates ¹⁹

Glossary Terms

A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. There are several main types of cancer. Carcinoma is cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs. Sarcoma is cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue. Leukemia is cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow, and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood. Lymphoma and multiple myeloma are cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system. Central nervous system cancers are cancers that begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's principal agency for cancer research. The National Cancer Institute conducts, coordinates, and funds cancer research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer. Access the National Cancer Institute Web site at http://www.cancer.gov. Also called NCI.