| genes, breast cancer susceptibility | Inherited factors that predispose to breast cancer. Put otherwise, these genes make one more susceptible to the disease and so increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Two of these genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, have been identified (and prominently publicised). Several other genes (those for the Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden disease, Muir-Torre syndrome, and ataxia-telangiectasia) are also known to predispose to breast cancer. Howeverm, since all of these known breast cancer susceptibility genes together do not account for more than a minor fraction (1/5th at most) of breast cancer that clusters in families, it is clear that more breast cancer genes remain to be discovered. See related entries to: BRCA1; BRCA2; Breast cancer, familial. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| chicken breast | Pigeon-breasted. (12 Dec 1998) |
| metastatic breast cancer | Breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. (16 Dec 1997) |
| circumscribed breast lesions | <radiology> Lucent, lipoma, oil cyst (following haematoma or biopsy), galactocele (associated with lactation), mixed density, fibro-adeno-lipoma, galactocele, intramammary lymph node, haematoma (12 Dec 1998) |
| coarse breast architecture | <radiology> Inflammatory carcinoma, other lymphatic spread of tumour, oedema, congestive heart failure, uraemia, drug-induced, radiation, mastitis (12 Dec 1998) |
| pigeon breast | Prominence of the breast bone (sternum). Medically, pigeon breast is called pectus carinatum. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cystic hyperplasia of the breast | A benign disease common in women of the third, fourth, and fifth decades characterised by formation, in one or both breasts, of small cysts containing fluid which may appear as blue dome cysts; associated with stromal fibrosis and with variable degrees of intraductal epithelial hyperplasia and sclerosing adenosis. Synonym: cystic hyperplasia of the breast. (05 Mar 2000) |
| stellate breast lesions | <radiology> Scirrhous carcinoma (infiltrating ductal carcinoma), small (baby) scirrhous carcinoma, sclerosing ductal hyperplasia, traumatic fat necrosis, hyalinised fibroadenoma (12 Dec 1998) |
| supernumerary breast | A milk-secreting gland located elsewhere than at the normal place on the chest and existing in addition to the two usual mammae. Synonym: mamma accessoria, accessory breast, supernumerary mamma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| suspensory ligaments of breast | Well developed retinacula cutis that extend from the fibrous stroma of the mammary gland to the overlying skin. Synonym: ligamenta suspensoria mammae, Cooper's ligaments, suspensory ligaments of Cooper. (05 Mar 2000) |
| diameter at breast height | The width of a plant stem (for example, tree trunk) as measured at 4.5 feet above the ground surface. (09 Oct 1997) |
| irritable breast | Swelling and induration of the breast, not due to a neoplasm, and usually of comparatively brief duration. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thermography-breast | A special infrared study which measures the skin temperature across the breasts. Used in the evaluation of breast abscess, breast cancer or another inflammatory process. This test is being replaced by breast ultrasound (27 Sep 1997) |
| early stage breast cancer | <oncology> Cancer is confined to the breast and has not spread to other sites in the body. (16 Dec 1997) |
| familial breast cancer | <oncology> A number of factors have been identified that increase the risk of breast cancer. One of the strongest of these risk factors is the history of breast cancer in a relative. About15-20% of women with breast cancer have such a family history of the disease, clearly reflecting the participation of inherited (genetic) components in the development of some breast cancers. Dominant breast cancer suceptibility genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, appear responsible for about 5% of all breast cancer. See related entries to: Breast cancer susceptibility genes; BRCA1; BRCA2. There are 2 genes; BRCA1 and BRCA2 which are susceptibility genes for breast cancer. They are inherited factors that predispose to breast cancer. Put otherwise, these genes make one more susceptible to the disease and so increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Two of these genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, have been identified (and prominently publicised). Several other genes (those for the li-fraumeni syndrome, cowden disease, muir-torre syndrome, and ataxia-telangiectasia) are also known to predispose to breast cancer. However, since all of these known breast cancer susceptibility genes together do not account for more than a minor fraction (1/5th at most) of breast cancer that clusters in families, it is clear that more breast cancer genes remain to be discovered. (12 Dec 1998) |