The Different Types of Breast Cancer
Not all cancer of the breast is the same. Most breast cancers either start in the glands or lobules that make breast milk, lobular carcinoma, or the cancer starts in the ducts that carry the milk to the nipple, ductal carcinoma.
The tissues in the glands and the ducts are different from each other and so are the cancers that form in those parts of the breast. Other rare forms of breast cancer can also occur. It is important to a patient's prognosis that her doctor properly diagnosis and treat the particular kind of breast cancer from which she suffers.
Ductal Carcinoma
Most breast cancers are ductal carcinomas. If the cancer is contained, ductal carcinoma in situ, then the prognosis is very good. Your oncologist will recommend the best individualized treatment for you. If the cancer is localized then many patients undergo a lumpectomy followed by radiation. However, ff the cancer has spread then a mastectomy and chemotherapy may be the recommended courses of treatment.
Lobular Carcinoma
Cancers that start in the milk glands are less common than ductal carcinoma. Most often they are a localized cancer referred to as lobular carcinoma in situ. The cancer can be removed with a lumpectomy followed by radiation if the cancer is localized. If the cancer has spread to the surrounding breast tissue then a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy might be necessary.
Rare Breast Cancers
While almost all cancers are ductal or lobular carcinomas, there are other types of breast cancer. One of the rarer and most aggressive forms of breast cancer is called inflammatory breast cancer. This can appear as a rash on the breast or it can start in the soft tissue just under the skin. Often it is treated with chemotherapy followed by surgery. It is important for this type of cancer to be caught early in order for the patient to have a good chance of survival.
The rarest form of breast cancer is Paget's disease. Often it resembles an itchy rash on the nipple. It is an invasive form of cancer that is usually treated with a mastectomy.
Breast cancer is a serious diagnosis. Survival rates are high, however, and the prognosis is favorable for many who are diagnosed with the disease. However, it is important for the doctor to properly diagnosis the type of cancer and to treat it accordingly so that the patient has the best chance for survival.