A N A T O M Y A N D P H Y S I O L O G Y T h e B r e a s t s In or der to un der stan d br east can cer , it h elps to h aves o m e b a s i c k n o w l e d g e about the normal structure of thebreasts.

The female breast is made up mainly of lobules (milk-producing glands), ducts (tin y tubes that carry them i l k f r o m t h e l o b u l e s t o t h e n i p p l e ) , a n d stroma (fattyt i s s u e a n d c o n n e c t i v e t i s s u e s u r r o u n d i n g t h e d u c t s a n d lobules, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels).M o s t b r e a s t c a n c e r s b e g i n i n t h e c e l l s t h a t l i n e t h e ducts ( ductal cancers). Some begin in the cells that line thel o b u l e s ( lobular c a n c e r s ) , w h i l e a s m a l l n u m b e r s t a r t i n other tissues. T h e L y m p h a t i c s y s t e m T h e l ym p h s y s t e m i s i m p o r t a n t t o u n d e r s t a n d b e c a u s e i t i s o n e o f t h e w a y s i n w h i c h b r e a s t c a n c e r s c a n s p r e a d . T h i s syst em has several parts. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shapedcollecti ons of immune system cells (cells that are importanti n f i g h t i n g i n f e c t i o n s ) t h a t a r e c o n n e c t e d b y l y m p h a t i c vessels. Lymphatic vessels are like small veins, except thatthey carry a clear fluid called lymph (instead of blood) awayf r o m t h e breast. Lymph contains tissue fluid and wast