According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Between birth and age 90, a woman has about a one in nine chance of developing the disease.

Patients dealing with breast cancer often find comfort in sharing their experiences with others through a support group, where patients can discuss what they've learned about cancer and its treatment, as well as how to cope with the disease.

Breast cancer is one of the leading cancer killers of women. Approximately one out of nine American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime.

Many breast tumors are found by women themselves during a breast self-exam. Therefore, it's very important for you to become familiar with your own breasts.

Breast cancer is a complex disease for which, so far, there's no one clear cause. Scientists know it's more common in Western countries than in developing nations, but can't say which lifestyle factor accounts for this difference.

When performing your monthly breast self-exam, the key word is 'change.' If you spot any changes from one month to the next, call your doctor right away.

Mammography (mam-OG-rah-fee) is a diagnostic test used to screen for breast cancer. It is very important in the early detection of breast cancer because it can find tumors and irregularities in the breast tissue that are still too small to be felt by you or your doctor.

A mammogram is an X-ray procedure for detecting breast cancer. Current guidelines of the American Cancer Society and the A-M-A call for a baseline mammogram between age 35 and 39 to establish what's normal; this can be used for comparison in later years.