Breast Anatomy
Having been diagnosed with breast cancer, you are likely to have many questions about the changes that may be taking place in your breast. First, it is necessary to know the parts of the breast. Each breast has 15 to 20 sections, called lobes, which have smaller sections called lobules, the glands responsible for making milk.1 Lobes and lobules are joined by thin tubes called ducts. The breast also contains blood vessels and lymph vessels; they carry a fluid called lymph, which contains infection-fighting cells. Lymph vessels lead to tiny, bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are found throughout the body, including under the arm, above the collarbone, and in the chest.
