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Malignant lumps are usually single, hard, and painless. They develop most often from mammary ducts or glands, and are most commonly found in the upper, outer portion of the breast, but may occur anywhere in the breast. Unlike benign lumps, cancerous lumps continue to grow in an uncontrolled manner, and in time will spread beyond the breast. The risk of developing breast cancer increases if you've had breast cancer before, if you have a family history of the disease, or if you've had a previous biopsy indicating a precancerous condition. In general, the risk of breast cancer rises with age, and is higher if you give birth for the first time after age 30 or if you never give birth. Breast cancer is decidedly a woman's disease—less than 1 percent of all breast cancers occur in males.
Early breast cancer is a small tumor less than an inch in size, located in the breast only. It's important to realize that even an "early" cancer may have been growing for many years before becoming large enough to be felt. Women who examine their breasts each month, visit their health care professional for periodic breast examinations, and have periodic mammography are most likely to detect breast cancer early. Early diagnosis and proper treatment give these women a better chance of being alive and well in the future.
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