Breast cancer is a widespread malady that is disturbing the human race in the modern times. Though the maximum times, it is the women who get affected, male breast cancer is also not extremely rare.
The cancer can originate at different areas of the breast like the milk duct, milk lobules or even the nipple. There are also different types of breast cancer. Here are some types of breast cancer.
1. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)
This is the most common type of non-invasive cancer of the breast. The cancer starts from within the milk ducts which carry the milk from the milk producing lobules to the nipple, and that is why it is given the name ‘ductal’. ‘In situ’ means that the carcinoma or cancer has started in the original place of the tissue.
Its non-invasive character denotes that the cancer has not infected the surrounding normal tissues. Though this form of breast cancer is not fatal, it can lead to the invasive type of cancer later on. Once a person is affected by DCIS, there is every chance that cancer will recur. Normally the period is within 5 to 10 years.
2. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC)
The commonest type of breast cancer is this, the invasive ductal carcinoma or IDC. It accounts for 80 percent of the cases. It is also known as infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Invasive indicates the fact that this type of cancer spreads out into the surrounding normal breast tissues from the milk ducts where it originates.
IDC is generally noticed in older women. There are some forms of IDC affecting the breast that are less common like tubular carcinoma; medullary carcinoma; mucinous carcinoma; papillary carcinoma and cribriform carcinoma.
3. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC)
This form of breast cancer is also called infiltrating lobular carcinoma. The occurrence is quite common but not as common as IDC. About 10 percent of all the invasive cancers are lobular in nature. Here the cancer originates in the milk producing lobules of the breast and then breaks out to spread out into the other surrounding tissues.
There is a chance that over time the cancer may affect the lymph nodes and spread to other parts of the body. This type of carcinoma has been seen to affect women older than those who are affected by IDC.
4. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)
This is a very rare form of breast cancer but is of very aggressive nature. It starts with swelling and reddening of the breast. No lumps are noticed but the growth of cancer is rapid and within days or even hours the symptoms can worsen. Though only about 1 to 5 percent can get this type of cancer, the age when this can affect is lesser than the other forms.
5. Other Types
There are other forms of cancer which are quite rare and sometimes some of these diseases are clubbed with cancer. For example, Lobular Carcinoma In Situ which is not a cancer in the truest sense. Paget’s disease of the nipples is a very rare form of cancer where cancer cells accumulate around the nipple. Phyllodes tumor of the breast is a leaf-like growth of the tumor cells which can be cancerous or non-cancerous.
