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Breast cancers that have spread into surrounding breast tissue are known as invasive breast cancers. Most breast cancers are invasive, but there are different types of invasive breast cancer. The two most common are invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma. Inflammatory breast cancer is also a type of invasive breast cancer. Invasive (infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC)This is the most common type of breast cancer. About 8 in 10 invasive breast cancers are invasive (or infiltrating) ductal carcinomas (IDC). IDC starts in the cells that line a milk duct in the breast. From there, the cancer breaks through the wall of the duct, and grows into the nearby breast tissues. At this point, it may be able to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body through the lymph system and bloodstream. Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC)About 1 in 10 invasive breast cancers is an invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). ILC starts in the breast glands that make milk (lobules). Like IDC, it can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Invasive lobular carcinoma may be harder to detect on physical exam and imaging, like mammograms, than invasive ductal carcinoma. And compared to other kinds of invasive carcinoma, it is more likely to affect both breasts. About 1 in 5 women with ILC might have cancer in both breasts at the time they are diagnosed. Less common types of invasive breast cancerThere are some special types of breast cancer that are sub-types of invasive carcinoma. They are less common than the breast cancers named above and each typically make up fewer than 5% of all breast cancers. These are often named after features of the cancer cells, like the ways the cells are arranged. Some of these may have a better prognosis than the more common IDC. These include:
Some sub-types have the same or maybe worse prognoses than IDC. These include:
In general, all of these sub-types are still treated like IDC. Treating invasive breast cancerTreatment of invasive breast cancer depends on how advanced the cancer is (the stage of the cancer) and other factors. Most women will have some type of surgery to remove the tumor. Depending on the type of breast cancer and how advanced it is, you might need other types of treatment as well, either before or after surgery, or sometimes both. See Treating Breast Cancer for details on different types of treatment, as well as common treatment approaches based on the stage or other factors. American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy. Not all breast cancers are the same. Understand what type of breast cancer you have and how it differs from other types of breast cancer. Once you've been diagnosed with breast cancer, your doctor will review your pathology report and the results of any imaging tests to understand the specifics of your tumor. Using a tissue sample from your breast biopsy or using your tumor if you've already undergone surgery, your medical team determines your breast cancer type. This information helps your doctor decide which treatment options are most appropriate for you. Here's what's used to determine your breast cancer type. In what part of the breast did your cancer begin?The type of tissue where your breast cancer arises determines how the cancer behaves and what treatments are most effective. Parts of the breast where cancer begins include:
How do your cancer cells appear under a microscope?When a sample of your breast cancer is examined under a microscope, here's what the pathologist looks for:
Are your cancer cells fueled by hormones?Some breast cancers are sensitive to your body's naturally occurring female hormones — estrogen and progesterone. The breast cancer cells have receptors on the outside of their walls that can catch specific hormones that circulate through your body. Knowing your breast cancer is sensitive to hormones gives your doctor a better idea of how best to treat the cancer or prevent cancer from recurring. Hormone status of breast cancers includes:
What is the genetic makeup of your breast cancer cells?Doctors are just beginning to understand how the individual DNA changes within cancer cells might one day be used to determine treatment options. By analyzing the genes of cancer cells, doctors hope to find ways to target specific aspects of the cancer cells to kill them. A sample of your tumor tissue from a biopsy procedure may be tested in a laboratory to look for:
Doctors are increasingly using genetic information about breast cancer cells to categorize breast cancers. These groups help guide decisions about which treatments are best. Breast cancer groups include:
Understanding more about the chemical and genetic makeup of your cancer may help doctors choose the most effective treatment for your specific cancer. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and
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. What does malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites mean?"Overlapping" implies that the sites involved are contiguous (next to each other). While numerically consecutive subcategories are frequently anatomically contiguous, this is not invariably so (for example bladder, C67). The coder may wish to consult anatomical texts to determine the topographic relationships.
How serious is malignant neoplasm of breast?Other tumors are "malignant" and are cancer. Breast cancer often starts out too small to be felt. As it grows, it can spread throughout the breast or to other parts of the body. This causes serious health problems and can cause death.
What does neoplasm mean of the breast?Malignant neoplasms are cancerous tumors. They develop when cells grow and divide more than they should. Malignant neoplasms can spread to nearby tissues and to distant parts of your body. Treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
What is primary malignant neoplasm of female breast?Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to divide and grow in an unusual and uncontrolled way. Primary breast cancer is breast cancer that hasn't spread beyond the breast or the lymph nodes (glands) under the arm.
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