Cancer can affect various parts of the breasts that is made up of ducts, lobules and tissues, and in some cases, it can spread to the other parts of the body. One of the most common forms of cancer is found in the ducts, which carries milk and other form of cancer is found in lobules (the sacs that produce milk).
Cancer in situ: It is a form of noninvasive cancer, which can be detected in early stage through mammography but the non invasive cancer cells can develop in to invasive cancer. Situ means the cancer cells are restricted to the ducts or lobules.
There are two types of breast cancer in situ: ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS).
DCIS: More than eighty percent of the cases are of the ductal type. Ductal carcinoma in situ refers to the abnormal development of cells in the lining of the milk ducts. The cells in DCIS are restricted to the inner lining but if not treated on time, it can spread to other parts and become an invasive cancer.
LCIS: Lobular carcinoma in situ can result in formation of abnormal cells in the lobules. Sometimes lumps are detected in biopsy, which can indicate LCIS at a non invasive stage. It can also be diagnosed through mammogram screening.
Medullary carcinoma: It is a form of infiltrating cancer, in which, the abnormal cells are restricted to a well defined boundary. Its features are large sized cells and presence of cells of the immunity system at the edges. It is found in three to five percent of the cases.
Metastatic: If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body such as lung, bone, liver and brain, it is called metastatic breast cancer, which affects the lymph nodes and the cancer spreads from the lymph nodes to other connected parts of the body.
Locally Advanced stage of cancer: The cancer may spread at an aggressive speed and the busts look red having hives on the skin and it may even have wrinkled feeling.
Inflammatory: It starts in the ducts and spreads to the nearby tissues but it may not form a lump.
Mixed tumors: A woman can suffer from tumor of both DCIS and LCIS and the condition is called mixed tumor.
Recurrent breast cancer: It happens in women, who previously suffered from the problem. It is a type of cancer which comes back after some years of treatment. It can be found in the chest, soft tissues or the chest walls. The women who previously suffered from breast cancer should have regular screening to prevent recurrence.
Triple negative: It is a rare type of cancer, in which the cells lack progesterone and estrogen receptors and the cells do not have adequate amount of HER2 protein. It is a common in younger women and in ethnic groups belonging to African American descendent. It spreads very fast and it cannot be treated using drugs.
