When you think about women and cancer, you probably commonly think of breast cancer. There is good reason for this. Breast cancer is the number one type of cancer among women. Men can even get breast cancer. It is diagnosed in over one thousand male patients every year. Breast cancer occurs when cells in and round the breast begin to grow abnormally and divide at an increased pace and without any pattern. When these cells form malignant tumors, the condition is called breast cancer. These tumors will continue to grow and eventually invade the rest of the body. Breast cancer commonly spreads through the bloodstream or the lymph nodes, and it can create cancer all throughout the body. The best breast cancer treatments involve early detection of the condition. Women need to visit their doctors for a mammogram on a regular basis. Mammograms are x-ray pictures taken of the breasts. A mammogram is an excellent way to diagnose breast cancer before it is evident in external exams. While a mammogram does not always detect cancer before it can be felt by the hand, it is a highly effective way to detect the cancerous tumors before they begin to spread. A breast exam done by a doctor or a nurse is also a helpful way to find breast cancer. If breast cancer is found in a woman as a result of a mammogram or a clinical exam, then a series of breast cancer treatments will be ordered by the doctor. First, further tests will be done to determine the extent of the cancer. After this, most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer will have surgery. This may be a minor surgery to remove the breast cancer only, or it may be a surgery to remove the entire breast, which is called a mastectomy. A mastectomy will be prescribed for breast cancer that is in the later stages of the disease. For the earlier stages, breast cancer surgery without removal of the breast will be prescribed. Other common breast cancer treatments include chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy is the process of giving the body strong doses of cancer fighting drugs, usually through an IV. Cancer radiation involves highly targeted x-ray treatments aimed towards the area of the body where the cancer was found. With women and cancer of the breast, radiation is usually targeted at the lymph nodes, which is the first place where breast cancer will spread. Some breast cancer treatments involve hormonal therapy. The need for hormonal therapy occurs when the tumor is diagnosed as a tumor that releases receptors for estrogen and progesterone. Hormonal therapy involves taking a pill for five years after breast cancer surgery. This limits the chances of having the breast cancer return. Breast cancer is a scary and dangerous disease. However, modern medicine has made breast cancer treatments increasingly successful. If you find your cancer early through having a regular mammogram, you are likely to battle this dreaded disease and win!