Fashion targets breast cancer

Your breasts consist mainly of fatty tissue which contains thousands of tiny glands – or lobules, whose function is to produce milk when you have a baby. These lobules form lobes, which lead to the ducts that channel milk to the nipples - enabling you to breastfeed.

The dark surrounding area of the nipple, the areola, produces fluid that lubricates your nipple when you breastfeed. Fatty and connective tissue makes up the rest of your breasts while ligaments and large muscles provide support. Breast tissue extends to your upper chest and armpits.It’s quite normal for your breasts to differ slightly in shape and size and vary during your menstrual cycle and pregnancy. They’ll also change as you get older.Our bodies are made up of tiny cells which group together to form tissues and organs such as the brain, liver, kidneys and lungs.Cells reproduce by dividing many times in their lifetime, allowing new tissue to grow and damaged tissue to be repaired. If a cell fails to divide and repair as it should, uncontrolled growth can follow and a tumour can develop.

Doctors refer to tumours that are contained in a limited area as benign. Once treated, a benign tumour rarely causes further problems.

Genes, made up of DNA, are coded messages that carry instructions for making living organisms. In other words, our genes, which we inherit from our parents, decide how our bodies and features are structured.

Whenever a cell divides, the DNA code for each gene is copied exactly. If this process goes wrong, the gene is said to have acquired a mutation. If the mutation occurs in a critical part of the gene, it can compromise the cell’s growth, causing a tumour to develop.

Breast cancer cells can break away from the original, or primary, cancer and move around the body to form secondary breast cancer. The lymph nodes in the armpit are a common place for breast cancer to spread to. Examining the lymph nodes helps doctors predict the likelihood of breast cancer returning.

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