The Types of Breast Cancer

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Far too often, breast cancer is looked at as a singular entity. That is, there is only one form that breast cancer takes. As with any medical condition, there is no such thing as a unilateral condition. There will be variants and mutations that exist as subsets of a general condition. This is evidenced in breast cancer through an examination of the different types of this particular cancer. Additionally, looking at different forms of breast cancer may also reveal different treatments and prognoses.

The two most common forms of breast cancer are In Situ Breast Cancer and Invasive Breast Cancer. In Situ can be dubbed (for lack of a better word) a localized form of breast cancer. That is, the cancerous cells are located in a specific region or origination (usually the milk duct) and are not prone to spreading to other areas. This DOES NOT mean this form of breast cancer is not dangerous. Instead, it simply means that the cancerous cells fall into a specific category which yields are particular diagnosis.

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Invasive Breast Cancer is the polar opposite of In Situ Breast Cancer. That is, this is a form of breast cancer that is prone to spreading through the tissue. In some cases, these cells can spread to other parts of the body leading to the potentially devastating situation where more than one form of cancer develops. Lymph Node cancer, for example, often develops from this type of cancer.

Invasive Breast Cancer can further breakdown into two other subcategories: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) and Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC). IDC represents the vast majority of all breast cancer cases. IDC can exist localized at the point of origin or it can spread through the body. IDL is similar to IDC although it has the very dangerous potential to spread cancer cells to even further reaches of the body.

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There are other forms of breast cancer that one can develop but they are less common. They are also more prevalent in regions outside the milk duct. These forms of breast cancer include angiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and metaplastic breast cancer. The onset of these types of breast cancer is less common although they are no less serious. That is why a comprehensive breast cancer screening is so important. It can pick up on the signals for these variants of breast cancer so as to arrive at a proper diagnosis and prognosis.

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