Can breast cancer be contagious?

Written by Zhang Chao Jie

Breast Surgery

Updated on November 26, 2024

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Breast cancer is not contagious. Infectious diseases have their natural characteristics. For instance, respiratory infectious diseases and even hepatitis can be transmitted through certain pathways. Cancer, including breast cancer, is not communicable. To date, medical research has found no evidence suggesting that cancer can be spread from person to person. Only about 5% of cancers have a genetic component. Consider this: if cancer were contagious, wouldn't medical professionals, aside from the patients' families, be the most affected group? However, how many health care providers have contracted cancer from their patients? Thus, it can be stated that breast cancer is not contagious.

Other Voices

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Written by Gong Chun

Oncology

1min 30sec

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Causes of Breast Cancer

The causes of breast cancer are not yet fully understood, but research has shown that the onset of breast cancer follows certain patterns and is related to various risk factors: The first is the age of onset for female breast cancer, which is generally low from ages zero to twenty-four, gradually increases after twenty-five, and peaks from fifty to fifty-four years old. So, the first factor is related to age; The second factor is genetics. If a mother or sister has breast cancer, then the individual’s likelihood of developing breast cancer may be higher, making family history a relevant factor; The third point involves risk factors related to the breast, including early menarche (before the age of twelve), late menopause (after the age of fifty-five), being unmarried, nulliparous, late marriage, and not breastfeeding. These factors also tend to increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer; The fourth point is that benign breast conditions, if not promptly diagnosed and treated, could potentially transform into malignant tumors; The fifth point includes potential exposure to radiation, long-term use of exogenous estrogens, postmenopausal obesity, chronic alcohol consumption, and an irregular lifestyle, all of which can also have an impact.

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Written by Zhang Chao Jie

Breast Surgery

1min 22sec

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Breast cancer symptoms

The symptoms of breast cancer depend on the severity of the cancer and whether there are any signs of metastasis or recurrence. It is important to emphasize that over 90% of breast cancer cases do not involve pain as a symptom. This means that the earliest symptoms of breast cancer are usually determined by whether the cancer is in its early or late stages. Early-stage breast cancer may have no symptoms at all, or there may be signs such as a lump or hard nodule in the breast, discharge from the nipple, especially coffee-colored or bloody discharge. Late-stage symptoms can include changes in the skin of the breast resembling the texture of an orange peel, palpable large lymph nodes in the armpit that are hard but neither painful nor itchy. If the cancer has metastasized to the lungs, chest cavity, pleura, liver, bones, or head, symptoms might include chest pain, coughing, difficulty breathing, abdominal distention, bone pain or fractures, as well as headaches, eye pressure, and dizziness, among others. Therefore, the symptoms of breast disease depend on whether the cancer is in its early stages; if it is in a late stage and has metastasized to other parts, corresponding symptoms will be present. It is also important to remember that early-stage breast cancer may not show any symptoms at all.

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Written by Fan Hong Qiao

Breast Health Department

1min 13sec

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Differences between Breast Hyperplasia and Breast Cancer

Both breast hyperplasia and breast cancer can present as breast lumps. The lumps in breast hyperplasia are generally softer or of medium hardness, often occurring bilaterally with multiple lumps of varying sizes. They may appear nodular, plaque-like, or granular, are quite mobile, and have no adhesion to surrounding tissues. The size and characteristics of the lumps commonly change with the menstrual cycle and emotional fluctuations, and they tend to grow slowly, predominantly affecting young and middle-aged women. In contrast, breast cancer lumps are generally harder, usually unilateral and solitary. These lumps may be round, oval, or irregular in shape, can grow quite large, have limited mobility, and tend to adhere to the skin and surrounding tissues. The lumps are not related to the menstrual cycle or emotional changes, can increase in size rapidly over a short period, and are more commonly seen in middle-aged and older women. Sometimes breast cancer can be confused with breast hyperplasia, necessitating a hospital visit for examination and diagnostic differentiation by a doctor.

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Written by Gong Chun

Oncology

1min 30sec

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How does one get breast cancer?

How is breast cancer caused? Regarding the causes of breast cancer, the primary factor should be family history. If a first-degree relative has breast cancer, then the likelihood of developing breast cancer increases. The second factor is reproductive factors; for instance, if the age at menarche is quite young, menopause age is relatively late, menstrual cycles are short, there is no childbirth or the age at first full-term pregnancy is older, there are fewer childbirths, and there is a lack of breastfeeding, then the incidence of breast cancer is also higher. The third factor involves hormones, possibly related to endogenous hormones or exogenous hormones, such as those mainly associated with oral contraceptives used externally. The fourth major point is a high-fat diet, or habits like drinking alcohol, smoking, and a diet low in vitamins, which may increase the risk of breast cancer. The fifth point involves other factors, such as exposure to significant amounts of ionizing radiation, chemicals from cancer drugs, lack of physical exercise, and occupations, such as working in the beauty industry or pharmaceutical manufacturing, etc., which may also increase the chances of developing breast cancer.

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Written by Lin Yang

Breast Surgery

41sec

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Types of breast cancer surgery

Breast cancer surgery types are generally still dominated by modified radical mastectomy. Modified radical mastectomy can be divided into two types; one preserves both the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles, and the other removes the pectoralis minor muscle but preserves the pectoralis major muscle. Another option is breast-conserving surgery, which is feasible for tumors smaller than three centimeters and at least two centimeters away from the nipple. Nowadays, sentinel lymph node biopsy has become popular. If it proves that the sentinel lymph node has no metastasis, a single mastectomy can be performed.