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Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a malignant tumour that has developed from cells of the breast. A malignant tumour is a group of cancer cells that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body. The disease occurs mostly in women, but men can get it, too.


Normal Breast Structure
The female breast is made up mainly of milk-producing glands (lobules), milk passages (ducts), and fatty tissue (stroma ) Lymphatic vessels are like veins, except that they carry lymph instead of blood. Lymph is a clear fluid that contains tissue waste products and immune system cells. Lymph nodes are cells that are found along lymphatic vessels. Cancer cells can enter lymphatic vessels and spread to lymph nodes.

When breast cancer cells reach the axillary (underarm) lymph nodes, they may continue to grow, often causing the lymph nodes in that area to swell. If breast cancer cells have spread to the underarm lymph nodes, they are more likely to have spread to other organs of the body as well.

Benign Breast Lumps
Most breast lumps are not cancerous, that is, they are benign. Most lumps turn out to be fibrocystic changes, this refers to fibrosis and cysts. Fibrosis is the formation of fibrous connective tissue, and cysts are fluid-filled sacs.


Types of Breast Cancers
It is important for you to understand some of the words used to describe different types of breast cancer, because breast cancer patients vary in their outlook for survival and their treatment options.


Adenocarcinoma
Nearly all breast cancers start in glandular tissue and, therefore, are adenocarcinomas. The 2 main types are ductal carcinomas and lobular carcinomas.


Ductal carcinoma in situ
Ductal carcinoma in situ is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. Non-invasive means that the cancer cells are inside the ducts but have not spread through the walls of the ducts into the fatty tissue. Nearly all women diagnosed at early stage of breast cancer can be cured. A mammogram is the best way to find ductal carinoma in situ early.

Infiltrating (or invasive) ductal carcinoma
This is a cancer that starts in a milk passage, or duct, of the breast, has broken through the wall of the duct, and invaded the fatty tissue of the breast. At this point, it can spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system and bloodstream.

Infiltrating (or invasive) lobular carcinoma
Infiltrating lobular carcinoma starts in the milk-producing glands, or lobules, it also can spread to other parts of the body. Invasive lobular carcinoma may be harder to detect by mammography than invasive ductal carcinoma.


Inflammatory breast cancer
This rare type of invasive breast cancer accounts for about 1% of all breast cancers. It makes the skin of the breast look red and feel warm and gives the skin a thick, pitted appearance.

In situ
This term is used for the early stage of cancer, when it is confined to the immediate area where it began. Specifically in breast cancer, in situ means that the cancer remains confined to ducts.

Lobular carcinoma in situ
Although it is not a true cancer, is sometimes classified as a type of non-invasive breast cancer. It begins in the milk-producing glands but does not penetrate through the wall of the lobules.

Medullary carcinoma
This special type of infiltrating breast cancer has a rather well-defined, distinct boundary between tumour tissue and normal tissue. It also has some other special features, including the large size of the cancer cells and the presence of immune system cells at the edges of the tumour.

Mucinous carcinoma
This rare type of invasive breast cancer is formed by mucus-producing cancer cells. The prognosis for mucinous carcinoma is better than for the more common types of invasive breast cancer.

Paget's disease of the nipple
This type of breast cancer starts in the breast ducts and spreads to the skin of the nipple and then to the areola, the dark circle around the nipple. It is rare, the skin of the nipple and areola often appears crusted, scaly, and red, with areas of bleeding or oozing.

Phyllodes tumour
This very rare type of breast tumour develops in the stroma of the breast, in contrast to carcinomas, which develop in the ducts or lobules. Phyllodes tumours are usually benign but on rare occasions may be malignant.

Tubular carcinoma
Tubular carcinomas are a special type of infiltrating breast carcinoma. They account for about 2% of all breast cancers and have a better prognosis than infiltrating ductal or lobular carcinomas.