According to the National Cancer Institute, 232,340 female breast cancers and 2,240 male breast cancers are reported in the USA each year, as well as about 39,620 deaths caused by the disease. Although breast cancer predominantly occurs in women it can also affect men. This article deals with breast cancer in women.
TYPES OF BREAST CANCERS
There are many types of breast cancer. Some are more common than others, and there are also combinations of cancers. In some cases a single breast tumor can be a combination of these types or be a mixture of invasive and in situ cancer.Ductal carcinoma in situ
The most
common type of noninvasive breast cancer is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). In
DCIS, abnormal cells have spread within the ducts of the breast, but the cells
have not begun to invade nearby breast tissue. The difference between DCIS and
invasive cancer is that the cells have not spread (invaded) through the
walls of the ducts into the surrounding breast tissue. DCIS thus has a very
high cure rate. About 1 in 5 new breast cancer cases will be DCIS. Nearly all
women diagnosed at this early stage of breast cancer can be cured.
In lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) cells that
look like cancer cells grow in the lobules of the milk-producing glands of the
breast, but they do not grow through the wall of the lobules. Lobular
carcinoma in situ is similar to Ductal carcinoma in situ, but in the
former the abnormal cells are located in the lobules of the breast rather than
the ducts.
This is
the most common type of breast cancer. It starts in a milk duct of the breast
and grows into the surrounding tissue. At this point, it may be able to spread
(metastasize) to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system and
bloodstream. About 80% of invasive breast cancers are invasive ductal
carcinoma.
This breast cancer starts in the milk-producing
glands of the breast. it can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.
Approximately 10% of invasive breast cancers are invasive lobular carcinoma.
Invasive lobular carcinoma may be harder to detect by a mammogram than invasive
ductal carcinoma.
Less common types of breast cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer:
This is an uncommon type of invasive breast
cancer. It accounts for about 1% to 3% of all breast cancers. There is usually
no single lump or tumor, Instead the skin on the breast look red and feel warm.
It also may give the breast skin a thick, pitted appearance that looks a lot
like an orange peel. These changes are not caused by inflammation or infection,
but by cancer cells blocking lymph vessels in the skin. The affected breast may
become larger or firmer, tender, or itchy. In its early stages, inflammatory
breast cancer is often mistaken for an infection in the breast (called mastitis)
and treated as an infection with antibiotics. If the symptoms are caused by
cancer, they will not improve, and a biopsy will find cancer cells. it might
not show up on a mammogram Because there is no actual lump, making it even harder to be detected early. This type of breast cancer tends to
have a higher chance of spreading and a worse outlook (prognosis) than typical
invasive ductal or lobular cancer.
This term
is used to describe breast cancers whose cells lack estrogen receptors and
progesterone receptors, and do not have an excess of the HER2 protein on their
surfaces. Breast cancers with these characteristics tend to occur more often in
younger women and in African-American women. Triple-negative breast cancers
tend to grow and spread more quickly than most other types of breast cancer.
Because the tumor cells lack these certain receptors, neither hormone therapy
nor drugs that target HER2 are effective treatments. Chemotherapy can still be
useful, and is often recommended even for early-stage disease as it lowers the
risk of the cancer coming back later.
This
cancer starts in the ducts of the breast and spreads to the nipple and the area
surrounding the nipple. It is rare, accounting for only about 1% of all cases
of breast cancer. It usually presents with crusting and redness around the
nipple. Paget disease is almost always associated with either ductal carcinoma
in situ (DCIS) or infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Treatment often requires
mastectomy.
Phyllodes tumor:
This very rare breast tumor develops in the
stroma (connective tissue) of the breast, in contrast to carcinomas, which
develop in the ducts or lobules. Other names for these tumors include
·
phylloides tumor
·
cystosarcoma
phyllodes.
These tumors are usually benign but on rare
occasions may be malignant.
Benign phyllodes tumors are treated by removing
the tumor along with a margin of normal breast tissue. A malignant phyllodes
tumor is treated by removing it along with a wider margin of normal tissue, or
by mastectomy. Surgery is often all that is needed, but these cancers might not
respond as well to the other treatments used for more common breast cancers.
When a malignant phyllodes tumor has spread, it can be treated with the
chemotherapy given for soft-tissue sarcomas .
This form of cancer starts in cells that line blood vessels or lymph vessels. It rarely occurs in the breasts. When it does, it usually develops as a complication of previous radiation treatments. This is an extremely rare complication of breast radiation therapy that can develop about 5 to 10 years after radiation. Angiosarcoma can also occur in the arms of women who develop lymphedema as a result of lymph node surgery or radiation therapy to treat breast cancer. These cancers tend to grow and spread quickly. Treatment is generally the same as for other sarcomas.
Breast Cancer: risk factors, symptoms and prevention.
Breast Cancer: diagnosis and treatment.
Beast Cancer: When to see the doctor.
source: http://www.cancer.org
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