Glands located on top of each kidney that secrete hormones and are responsible for producing androgen, the precursor of estrogen, in postmenopausal women.

A type of hormone therapy that blocks the production of estrogen in peripheral tissue, such as adipose tissue (fat), thereby reducing overall circulating estrogen levels.

Lymph nodes below the shoulder joint that are bounded by chest muscles. Many lymphatic vessels of the breast lead to lymph nodes under the arm.

Removal of all or some of the lymph nodes in the armpit.

A useful tool to determine whether a person is underweight, a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. High BMI (greater thann or equal to 25) may be associated with serious health problems.

A cancerous tumor.

The use of systemic medications to treat cancer.

A naturally occurring hormone produced by the ovaries of premenopausal women that controls the development and maintenance of female sex characteristics and the reproductive system. Estrogen may stimulate the growth of certain cancers.

ERT is usually given to women to help alleviate symptoms of menopause, but has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and endometrial cancer.

An effective and well-tolerated selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that binds to estrogen receptors to help prevent cancer cells from growing and dividing. Proven to extend survival in women in ER-positive or ER-unknown advanced breast cancer.

A type of therapy that interferes with the actions of hormones, such as estrogen, that support cancer-cell growth.

An abnormal growth of cells that has not spread from where it originated. This type of cancer may begin in the milk ducts (ductal) or the milk glands (lobular).

Cancer that is localized in the breast or has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).

Breast-conserving surgery in which only cancerous tissue and a small amount of surrounding tissue are surgically removed.

A class of drugs that works by turning off the production of estrogen by the ovaries of premenopausal women.

Small, pea-shaped collections of immune system tissue that remove cell waste and fluids from lymph. Lymph is a clear fluid that contains immune system cells and tissue waste products, and is carried in lymph vessels that lead to the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes help fight infections and also have a role in fighting cancer. Also called lymph glands.

Surgery to determine if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and to other parts of the body. See axillary lymph node dissection and sentinel lymph node dissection.

Surgical removal of the entire breast.

A term meaning that the cancer has spread from its place of origination to other parts of the body.

Removal of the ovaries.

Breast-conserving surgery in which more of the tissue surrounding the tumor is removed (wide excision) than in a lumpectomy.

Surgical removal of one fourth of the breast.

Cancer treatment that uses radioactive energy to destroy or shrink tumor cells.

A type of hormonal therapy that blocks the growth of tumors by binding to estrogen receptors in the breast cancer cell and preventing estrogen from binding.

A surgical procedure used to determine if cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes.

Any treatment given orally or intravenously that enters the bloodstream.

A SERM that binds to estrogen receptors to help prevent cancer cells from growing and dividing. Proven to extend survival in women with breast cancer.