The Different Types Of Breast Cancer Tumors

Breast cancers have various types, and knowledge on all of them is necessary for defining what treatment you need. Naturally, different types of breast cancers will have different causes, show different symptoms and will need different treatments than other types of breast cancer.

Breast cancer can either be invasive or non-invasive. Non-invasive breast cancers, also called in situ breast cancers, have a very high survival rate. Cancer cells in non-invasive breast cancers are confined to the site where the cancer originated, and have not spread to other organs. The most common non-invasive breast cancer is Ductal Carcinoma In Situ or DCIS, which develops in the breasts' milk ducts and does not metastasize. The best and easiest treatment for DCIS is mastectomy, and patients are cured fully, most of the times.

Invasive breast cancers are characterized by cancer spreading out to body parts other than the site in which the cancer originates. These cells usually enter the lymph vessels and blood vessels and travel to other body parts, where they develop malignant tumors. The two most common invasive breast cancer types are Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, which is also the commonest breast cancer type, and, Invasive Lobular Carcinoma.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma accounts for 70% to 80% of all breast cancer cases. Originating in the ducts of the breast, the cancer spreads outside the ductal lining and attacks the breast tissue. There is no certainty if the cancer cells remain confined to the breast or metastasize to other organs. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, on the other hand, is characterized by cancer cells originating in milk-producing lobules of the breast and then spreading out the same way as in IDC. One typical attribute of ILC is that no distinct lump formation is necessary. The breast usually thickens as a whole.

Breast cancer cells can also originate in blood and lymph vessels of the breast, the breast tissue and the fibrous connective tissue, rather than just the ducts and lobules. These are uncommon types of cancer; however, due to the possible aggressive nature, knowing about them becomes imperative. They include Inflammatory breast cancer, angiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, metaplastic breast cancer, Paget's disease of the breast, and many others. It is also good to remember that sometimes, cancer can spread to the breast when the originating site is some other organ. This is not a type of breast cancer; another form of cancer has just metastasized to the breast.

Inflammatory breast cancer is very aggressive, and can originate and start developing cancer cells so rapidly, that within a week, the cancer becomes very advanced and dangerous. This is the reason it is important to know everything about these rare types; you just do not know for sure if they can attack you.

Invasive breast cancers are usually graded according to the semblance of the breast tissue compared to a normal breast tissue. Grades have three levels, from acceptable to worst, progressively. Grading helps determining treatments required and the urgency with which they're required. Grade I means the cells still have some normalcy; Grade III means cells are functioning abnormally and are physiologically degraded.

As you can see, knowing about all types of cancers can help you recognizing symptoms early on and advise you on how to make your treatment more effective, along with giving you proper knowledge and information on your treatment.