The different types of breast cancer require knowledge of each to determine the appropriate course of treatment. Different types of breast cancer will, of course, have different causes, present with different symptoms, and require various treatments.
Breast cancer can either be invasive or non-invasive. The likelihood of survival is very high for non-invasive breast cancers, also known as in situ breast cancers. Non-invasive breast cancers are cancers that have not spread to other organs and have cancer cells that are restricted to the area where the cancer first appeared. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, or DCIS, develops in the breast milk ducts but does not spread, making it the most prevalent non-invasive type of breast cancer. Mastectomy is the best and simplest treatment for DCIS, and most often, patients recover completely.
Breast cancers that are invasive spread to areas of the body other than the original site. Typically, these cells enter the lymphatic and blood vessels, move to other body parts, and form cancerous tumors there. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, which is also the most prevalent breast cancer type, and Invasive Lobular Carcinoma are the two most prevalent invasive breast cancer subtypes.
The invasive ductal carcinoma, or IDC, starts in the breast ducts and spreads to the breast tissue before having the potential to metastasize further. IDC accounts for roughly 70–80 of every 100 cases of cancer, making it the most prevalent type of breast cancer. The milk-producing lobules of the breast are where invasive lobular carcinoma initially develops before spreading to other areas. When an individual develops Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, there typically isn’t a lump formation—rather, the breast thickens.
Not all types of breast cancer begin in the lobes or ducts. Breast cancer can also develop in the tissues of the breast, fibrous connective tissues, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels. It’s also conceivable that the cancer doesn’t begin in the breast but instead spreads there from cancer cells in a different organ. Even though these kinds are rare, it’s always a good idea to be prepared. A few uncommon types of breast cancer include inflammatory breast cancer, Paget’s disease of the breast, metaplastic breast cancer, angiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Breast cancer caused by inflammation is extremely aggressive and can develop cancer cells so quickly that it can advance quickly and become very dangerous within a week. Due to the uncertainty surrounding their potential attack on you, it is crucial to learn everything there is to know about these uncommon types.
Invasive breast cancers are typically given a medical grade. They compare the affected breast tissue to a normal tissue and assign a grade based on how closely the affected tissue resembles the normal tissue. Choosing the course and methods of treatment is made simpler by this process. Grades range from I to III, with Grade I indicating that the cancer is not very advanced and Grade III indicating that the cancer has advanced significantly.
As you can see, having proper knowledge and information about all types of cancers can help you identify symptoms early on and receive advice on how to make your treatment more effective.