Types of Breast Cancer

There are many different types ofBreast cancer, where breast cancer can be classified based on how far the cancer cells have progressed into invasive and non-invasive cancer. It can also be classified by where the cancer starts.

Each different type of breast cancer affects different cells in the body, which can help determine how fast the cancer grows and spreads. So understanding the different types helps decide the care needed. In this article, we will learn about the different types of breast cancer.

Types of Breast Cancer

1. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)

Early stage cancer is called localized cancer or Carcinoma In Situ, which means the cancer is still in its original spot and hasn't spread.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-invasive cancer where abnormal cells are in the milk duct in the breast but haven't spread to other breast tissue.

DCIS is often found during routine mammograms, and if untreated it can turn into invasive cancer.

2. Lobular carcinoma in situ

Lobular carcinoma in situ is a type of non-invasive breast cancer where abnormal cells are in the lobules but haven't spread to surrounding breast tissue yet.

3. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)

IDC is the most common breast cancer type, making up about 70% to 80% of cases. It starts in the milk duct and spreads into other breast tissues. It has several subtypes, including these:-

• Medullary Carcinoma:- Makes up 3% - 5% of all breast cancer cases. It happens when the tumor is a soft fleshy mass that looks like the brain part called the medulla.

• Mucinous Carcinoma: Mucinous or colloid carcinoma happens when the tumor floats in pools of mucin proteins, which are the main part of mucus.

• Tubular Carcinoma:- This duct cancer is less than 1 cm in size and looks like a tube in structure.

• Papillary Carcinoma:- Papillary carcinoma makes up less than 1% - 2% of invasive breast cancer types.

4. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

Invasive lobular carcinoma or ILC is a type of breast cancer that accounts for about 1 in every 10 invasive breast cancer cases. It starts in the lobules or milk-producing glands, then spreads to other body tissues.

ILC can be divided into several subtypes based on how the cancer cells look. These include:

• Classic ILC: Here, the cells look like a single file line, similar to each other, and tend to be small.

• Solid ILC:This shows up when cells start forming large sheets.

• Alveolar ILC:- Shows up when cells group together and grow in clusters of 20 or more.

• Tubulolobular ILC:- Looks like classic lobular cancer with single-file formations, but the cells have a tube-like structure.

• Mixed invasive Ductal-Lobular cancer:- This type has features of both invasive lobular cancer and invasive ductal cancer, meaning it’s a mix of ILC and IDC.

5. Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer or TNBC is an aggressive cancer making up 10% - 15% of all breast cancer types. These cancer cells lack estrogen and progesterone hormone receptors.

And the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 or HER2, so it is called triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer grows and spreads faster than other invasive breast cancers. It has fewer treatment options and a poor prognosis. Compared to HER2-positive cancers, triple-negative breast cancer has the lowest survival rates.

6. Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer or IBC is a rare type of breast cancer, making up only 1% to 5% of all cases. It differs from other breast cancers in symptoms, outlook, and treatment options.

In IBC, cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin, which makes the breast look red, purple, or inflamed. This type is hard to diagnose because it doesn’t look like other breast cancers and might not have lumps visible on a mammogram.

All IBC cases start at stage three, because by the time it’s found, cancer cells have already spread to the skin. It’s the only breast cancer that needs urgent treatment. About 20% to 40% of IBC cases are triple-negative.

7. Paget’s Disease of the Breast

Paget’s Disease of the Breast makes up about 5% of all breast cancer cases. It involves clusters of cancer cells inside or around the nipple skin area, called the areola.

Sometimes Paget's disease symptoms in the breast get confused with eczema or dermatitis symptoms, like itching, tingling in the nipple or areola, skin peeling or cracking, and nipple discharge.

Paget cells are malignant cells found in the skin's surface layer of the nipple and areola. Under a microscope, they look large and round and indicate Paget's disease of the breast.

8. Angiosarcoma of the Breast

Angiosarcoma is a rare cancer that starts in the endothelial cells lining blood and lymph vessels. Symptoms can include tissue death or bleeding.

There are two types of angiosarcoma in the breast, which are:

• Primary angiosarcoma:- It happens in women who have never been treated for breast cancer before.

• Secondary angiosarcoma:- And it happens in women who have been previously treated for breast cancer.

9. Phyllodes Tumor

Phyllodes tumors are a rare type of cancer. They make up less than 1% of all breast cancers. They often grow quickly but do not spread outside the breast.

Phyllodes tumors grow in the connective tissue of the breast, called stroma. Stroma includes fat tissue, ligaments around ducts and lobules, blood vessels, and lymph vessels in the breast. These tumors are more common in women in their 40s.

Also, women with a rare genetic condition called Li-Fraumeni syndrome have a higher risk of these tumors. About 1 in 4 phyllodes tumors are cancerous. Most are benign.

10. Male Breast Cancer

Male breast cancer is rare and makes up about 1% of all breast cancers. Men, like women, have breast tissue that can develop cancer. Like women, breast cancer risk in men increases with age. The average age of diagnosis in men is 68.

As with breast cancer in women, male breast cancer has some symptoms, which can include:-

• Lumps in the breast.

• Pain in the nipples.

• Inverted nipple appearance.

• Discharge from the nipples.

• Swelling of lymph nodes under the arms.

• Sores on the nipple or areola.

Early diagnosis can help treat different types of breast cancer better. So, proactive steps like regular breast X-rays and noticing any changes in the breasts can help with early diagnosis and treatment.

Source of the article:- 1.