Breast Cancer
What are the different Types of Breast Cancer?
There are two main types of breast cancer: invasive and non-invasive (Table 1).
Type 1 - Invasive Breast Cancer
This cancer is more aggressive and has the ability to spread elsewhere in the body and thus cause death.
Type 2 - Non-invasive Breast Cancer
This type is confined to the ducts or lobules of the milk glands. It is a non-invasive cancer and does not usually spread to other parts of the body. However, it may develop into an invasive type if left untreated. The medical name for non-invasive breast cancer is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) if it occurs in the milk gland ducts (tubes), or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) if it occurs in the gland lobules.
| Details | Breast Cancer Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Invasive | Non-invasive | |
| Behaviour | Aggressive | Not particularly aggressive |
| Spread | Yes | Not usually |
| Outcome | Can cause death | Much better prognosis |
LCIS is not considered as cancer as such. The presence of this abnormality in a breast biopsy means the patient has an increased risk of developing breast cancer. The risk means that about 1 in 3 women with LCIS will develop breast cancer within 30 years of being diagnosed with the original condition.
- The Normal Breast
- What is Breast Cancer?
- What are the different Types of Breast Cancer?
- Am I at Risk of Getting Breast Cancer?
- What Does 'Increased Risk' Mean to Me?
- How Can I Reduce the Risk?
- Breast Screening
- Breast Lumps
- What Happens at the Breast Clinic?
- Emotional Reaction to a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
- What are the Treatment Options for Breast Cancer?
- Radiotherapy - What is it and How it is Used
- Chemotherapy - What is it and How it is Used
- Hormone Therapy - What is it and How it is Used
- Reconstruction
- Treatment of Non-invasive Breast Cancer
- The Follow-up Clinic