Emmerdale actress Natalie J Robb, 49, opens up about her own health struggles after discovering a lump in her breast while her character Moira Dingle suffers a terrifying seizure

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. There are more than 55,000 new cases in the UK each year and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, 266,000 women are diagnosed with the disease each year and 40,000 die from it. But what causes it and how can it be treated?

What is breast cancer?

It is a cancerous cell that develops in the lining of a milk duct or lobule in one of the breasts.

When breast cancer has spread to surrounding tissue, it is called “invasive.” Some people are diagnosed with “carcinoma in situ,” where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.

Most cases occur in women over 50, but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can also occur in men, but this is rare.

Staging indicates how large the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.

Cancer cells are classified into low-grade (slow-growth) and high-grade (fast-growth) cancer cells. High-grade cancer cells are more likely to return after the first treatment.

What causes breast cancer?

A cancerous tumor begins with an abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is believed that something damages or changes certain genes in the cell. This causes the cell to become abnormal and multiply “uncontrollably.”

Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the likelihood, such as genetics.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

The first symptom is usually a painless lump in the breast. However, in most cases, these are not cancerous but benign, fluid-filled cysts.

Breast cancer usually spreads first to the lymph nodes in the armpit. In this case, a swelling or lump appears in the armpit.

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

• Initial examination: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may perform tests such as a mammogram, a special X-ray of the breast tissue that can indicate possible tumors.
• Biopsy: A biopsy involves taking a small sample of tissue from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.

If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to determine whether the cancer has spread. These may include blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.

How is breast cancer treated?

Treatment options that may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments is used.

• Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or removal of the affected breast, depending on the size of the tumor.
• Radiation therapy: A treatment that focuses high-energy rays on cancerous tissue to kill cancer cells or stop them from multiplying. It is used primarily as an adjunct to surgery.
• Chemotherapy: A cancer treatment that uses cancer drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from multiplying.
• Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the “female” hormone estrogen, which can stimulate cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments that lower the levels of these hormones or block their effects are often used in breast cancer patients.

How successful is the treatment?

The best prospects are for patients who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small and has not yet spread. Surgical removal of a tumor at an early stage can then offer a good chance of cure.

Routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 allows more breast cancers to be diagnosed and treated early.

For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call the free helpline 0808 800 6000.