BREAST CANCER : Carcinogenesis, metastasis and prognostic factors

Breast cancer ranks first among female cancers and is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women.In this book, we describe the carcinogenesis and prognostic factors of female breast cancer, based on a literature search.The architecture of the mammary gland evolves throughout life, depending on age and stage of reproductive life, and is constructed under the influence of sex hormones of ovarian origin and a number of growth factors.Several clinico-pathological criteria are used to assess whether a breast cancer a priori has a good or poor prognosis, and to determine whether additional systemic treatment should be administered (chemotherapy, hormone therapy), in order to reduce the risk of relapse and death.