Breast Cancer Types
Breast cancer is divided into two basic groups: invasive and noninvasive. A Invasive breast cancers: These are breast cancers that spread by not staying in the area where they started to form.
Ductal invasive breast cancer:
It is also called “invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast”. It is the most common type of breast cancer. It is seen in 70-80% of every 100 breast cancer diagnoses. It is a cancer that starts to form in the cells in the membrane of the milk ducts and spreads to the surrounding breast tissue. In invasive ductal breast cancer, cells break away from the ducts and can spread near the lymph nodes or to any other part of the body.
Lobular invasive breast cancer:
It is also called “invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast”. It occurs in approximately 1 in 10 breast cancer cases. It is frequently seen in cancers diagnosed between the ages of 45-55. It is a cancer that starts in the cells in the membrane of the breast lobes and spreads to the surrounding breast tissue.
B Noninvasive breast cancers: These are cancers that remain in the area where they started to form and do not spread.
DCIS ductal carcinoma in situ:
These are formations in which cells in the milk ducts begin to turn into cancer cells. They are not called cancer. However, unless treated, they are likely to turn into cancer. These cells are inside the milk ducts and have not started to spread around the breast tissue.
LCIS - Lobular carcinoma in situ:
It means that cells within the breast lobe have started to turn into cancer cells. The formations are inside the lobules and have not spread around the breast tissue. They are not called cancer. However, unless treated, they are likely to turn into cancer. Having LCIS means you are at high risk for breast cancer in the future.
Breast cancer has been classified many times into different types. Another classification is that rare cancers are classified as special type, and common cancers are classified as non-specific type.
Ductal carcinoma, the most common cancer, is classified as a nonspecific type.
Other types of cancer, including lobular carcinoma, include:
- Medullary breast cancer
- Mucinous (mucoid or colloid) breast
- Tubular breast cancer
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast
- Metaplastic breast cancer
- breast angiosarcoma
- Lymphoma in the breast
- Basal type breast cancer
- Phyllodes or cystosarcoma phyllodes
- Papillary breast cancer
