As stated in an article published by THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE, cancer can

start anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally,
human cells grow and multiply (through a process called cell division) to form new
cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and
new cells take their place.
Sometimes this orderly process breaks down, and abnormal or damaged cells grow and
multiply when they should not. These cells may form tumors, which are lumps of
tissue. Tumors can be cancerous or not cancerous (benign). In a simplified word,
cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and
spread to other parts of the body, these cancer cells differ from normal ones in
development, reproduction, and communication. The environment that they both
survive is also different. The feature of an uncontrolled division of cell which
takes place in the body is considered as cancer and leads to a tumor. The
difference between normal cells and cancer cells is that where normal cells are
required for the smooth functioning of the body, cancer cells disrupt the same.

The breast is a milk factory in which the lobules make the milk and the ducts carry
the milk to the nipples. Virtually all breast cancer begins in this milk ductal
system.
Breast cancer occurs when a normal cell stops functioning properly and begins to
grow and divide uncontrollably. This process doesn’t occur in a day, or in a week,
or in a month, or even in a year. It often takes decades or more for a normal cell
to acquire the properties necessary to start acting like a cancer cell.The DNA that
forms each gene in a chromosome is a code for creating a protein. But the DNA can’t
make that protein alone. It needs RNA to translate the code and produce the
protein. You can think of it this way: DNA holds the precious family recipe for
making, in this case, protein. RNA is the copy that you use in the kitchen to make
the protein.And during this copying mechanisme a mutation can occur, A mutation is
an error that can occur when the wrong nucleotide—A, T, C, or G—gets inserted into
a gene as it’s being created. A mutation can also occur if a nucleotide is deleted.
A person can be born with a mutation. Mutations also develop throughout a person’s
lifetime. Most mutations will never cause a problem. It is estimated that thousands
of DNA errors are detected and repaired during the cell division process.For
someone to have cancer, the cells must be replicating endlessly. Further, this mass
of cells has to break out of the area where these cells are supposed to be and
invade into other areas.Virtually all breast cancer begins in the breast duct. A
diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
means that there are cancer cells in the breast, but they are still contained
within the breast duct or lobule. They have not invaded into another area. This is
why DCIS and LCIS are called precancers. If a woman is diagnosed with invasive
cancer, it means the cancerous cells have broken out of the duct and invaded the
surrounding tissue.(Dr.Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research)
Metastatic Disease is when cancer cells have to evade the body’s immune system,
make new blood vessels, travel through the bloodstream, figure out what organ to go
to, break out of the blood vessel, get into the new organ, and set up a new home.
But even when early metastasis has occurred, it doesn’t necessarily spell doom.
Let’s say that the cell has successfully made the journey to the lung. Once it
arrives there it has to establish a new home by making new blood vessels. It’s
possible that other cells in the lung may be able to keep these invaders under
control. The cells then act normally until something happens—a change in the lung’s
environment, or a new genetic alteration occurs that allows the breast cancer cells
to grow in the lung. This might explain why some women will have a recurrence of
breast cancer many years after the first diagnosis. Those cells were there from the
beginning but were dormant until the right conditions induced them to grow again.

Early detection of breast cancer gives the best possible chance of survival. The
earlier an abnormality is discovered, the greater the number of effective treatment
options available. This ensures the best possible outcome.There are many ways
breast cancer can be detected. These include: Mammograms, Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound, Biopsy.
>A mammogram is an x-ray picture of your breast. Mammograms are used to regularly
check for breast cancer in women who may present with no signs or symptoms of the
disease. Screening mammograms involve two x-ray pictures of each breast that are
analysed by a radiographer for signs of abnormality.
>A biopsy is the removal of a small sample of tissue from the breast or lymph
nodes. The tissue is then examined by a pathologist (specialist doctor) under a
microscope. This process helps to determine if the sampled tissue has any cancer
cells. It also helps to determine the appropriate treatment plan.
>An MRI produces an image of the inside of your body using magnetic fields. Women
under 50 years of age who are at high risk of breast cancer are eligible for
routine screenings with MRI through Medicare.
>An ultrasound uses soundwaves to outline a part of your body. A breast ultrasound
is used to see whether a lump found in the breast is solid or filled with fluid. An
ultrasound is often used to check abnormal results from a mammogram.(blog published
by national breast cancer foundation)