Deadly Breast Cancer Type Invasive Type is Either Lobular or Ductal
A major breast cancer type is the invasive type. It can either be ductal or lobular type. The invasive type differs according to its origin, shape and aggressiveness.
Ductal and lobular breast cancer types are further divided into specific forms. Understanding the differences between the specific types is crucial in the proper prevention and treatment of the disease.
Both ductal and lobular types are classified based on the location of the tumor.
What is Ductal Carcinoma?
It is a breast cancer type that originates from the milk tubes or ducts.
What are Types of Ductal Carcinomas?
Ductal carcinoma in-situ or DCIS is an early form of breast tumor in which the abnormal cells are confined inside your milk ducts. It is not invasive but if left untreated and unchecked, it can become invasive.
Medullary ductal carcinoma is an invasive type. It accounts for 5% of breast cancer cases. It is most common and most frequent in women in their late 40s to 50s. It is one of the rare types of breast cancer.
Tubular ductal carcinoma is also invasive but is not a common type. In fact, it accounts only for 1 to 2% of diagnosed cases. It typically occurs in women in their 50s or above.
A woman diagnosed with tubular type has a survival rate of 95%.
Mucinous ductal carcinoma is another invasive but rare type of ductal carcinoma. Only 2 in 100 diagnosed cases are mucinous cancers.
Invasive or Infiltrating ductal carcinoma or IDC is the most common breast cancer type of invasive tumor, accounting for 70 to 80% of diagnosed cases worldwide.
The cancerous cells either look like stars or rounded.
The abnormal cells start in your milk ducts and invade the surrounding fatty or connective tissues.
The malignant tumors can travel to your lymph nodes. They can also spread to other organs of your body by entering your bloodstream. If your cancerous cells look like stars, you have a poorer chance of surviving the IDC type.
What is Lobular Carcinoma?
It is a type of breast tumor that grows in the glands which produce milk called the lobules.
Lobular carcinoma in-situ or LCIS type. If you had been diagnosed with LCIS, it signifies presence of abnormal cells in the lobules of your breasts, particularly in the inner lining.
LCIS type is common among women who have not reached menopausal age yet.
Is LCIS a cancer? No, it can’t be considered as cancer but its presence increases your risk for getting the invasive type.
Most LCIS cases don’t develop into full-blown breast cancer. But it will be wise to monitor LCIS if you have it for better prevention.
Invasive or Infiltrating lobular carcinoma or ILC. Cancerous cells begin in the lobules of your breast and just like the IDC type; it also invades neighboring tissues and spreads to other parts of your body.
ILC type is less common than IDC, accounting only for 5 - 10% of diagnosed cases.
Any woman regardless of age can get ILC; however, it is most typical among women between 45 and 55 years of age.
The type can also develop in a man but it rarely happens.
It is more common to find ILC in both your breasts at the same time.
Among the different types, the ILC is harder to diagnose because the tumor usually manifests itself as a breast tissue thickening instead of as a hard lump in your breasts. Such characteristic makes it harder to diagnose ILC breast cancer type and when found, the cancer is already big.
