Types Of Breast Cancer
There are multiple types of breast cancer and it is very important to understand these different types, especially if you are very unfortunate to have breast cancer.
The first thing you want to find out is if your cancer is invasive or noninvasive. This helps a doctor determine whether your cancer has spread beyond your breast, figure out what treatments are better and any risk of cancer developing in the same or the other breast.
- Noninvasive refers to cancer in which the cells have remained within their place of origin. Two types of noninvasive cancer are ductal carcinoma (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS).
- Invasive spread outside the membrane that lines a duct or lobule, invading the surrounding tissues. The cancer cells can then travel to other parts of your body, such as the lymph nodes. If your breast cancer is stage I, II, III or IV, you have invasive breast cancer.
Below is a great interview with Dr. Laura Lee, MD on the types of breast cancer.
The type of tissue where your breast cancer arises determines how the cancer behaves and what treatments are most effective.
Parts of the breast where cancer begins include:
- Milk-producing lobules – Lobular carcinoma starts in the lobules of the breast, where breast milk is produced. The lobules are connected to the ducts, which carry breast milk to the nipple.
- Milk ducts – Ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer. This type of cancer forms in the lining of a milk duct within your breast. The ducts carry breast milk from the lobules, where it’s made, to the nipple.
- Connective tissues – Rarely breast cancer can begin in the connective tissue that’s made up of muscles, fat and blood vessels. Cancer that begins in the connective tissue is called sarcoma. Examples of sarcomas that can occur in the breast include phyllodes tumor and angiosarcoma.
Here is a more detailed list of types of breast cancer:
- Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ (DCIS) is a type of early breast cancer confined to the inside of the ductal system.
- Medullary Carcinoma accounts for 15% of all breast cancer types. It most frequently occurs in women in their late 40s and 50s, presenting with cells that resemble the medulla (gray matter) of the brain.
- Infiltrating Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) is a type of breast cancer that usually appears as a subtle thickening in the upper-outer quadrant of the breast. This breast cancer type represents 5% of all diagnosis. Often positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors, these tumors respond well to hormone therapy.
- Mucinous Carcinoma (Colloid) represents approximately 1% to 2% of all breast carcinoma. This type of breast cancer’s main differentiating features are mucus production and cells that are poorly defined. It also has a favorable prognosis in most cases.
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is a rare and very aggressive type of breast cancer that causes the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast to become blocked. This type of breast cancer is called “inflammatory” because the breast often looks swollen and red, or “inflamed”. IBC accounts for 1% to 5% of all breast cancer cases in the United States.
- Tubular Carcinoma makes up about 2% of all breast cancer diagnosis, tubular carcinoma cells have a distinctive tubular structure when viewed under a microscope. Typically this type of breast cancer is found in women aged 50 and above. It has an excellent 10-year survival rate of 95%.
- Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) is the most common type of breast cancer representing 78% of all malignancies. These lesions appear as stellate (star like) or well-circumscribed (rounded) areas on mammograms. The stellate lesions generally have a poorer prognosis.
