Breast Cancer TumorsWhat if you found a breast lump?Whether you have been recently diagnosed, know someone who has been recently diagnosed after finding a breast lump, or are just moved to find out more information about breast cancer; understanding breast cancer tumors and breast cancer disease is important. There are numerous websites out there with very detailed and technical information. There are sites out there with minimal information about breast cancer tumors. Wading through all of the information can be a daunting task.
In this section, I have tried to compile the basics about breast tumors. Please note that as you gain understanding you may want more detailed information. To help you with this, I have provided you with links to sites that I found to be very informative. Understanding some basics about breast cancer tumors and the terminology that is most often used may help you understand what treatments you or someone you know who has breast cancer might be facing. "Breast Cancer Rash?"Let’s start by saying – not all breast cancer will be associated with a lump or tumor. Some conditions are more like a breast cancer rash. Two types of breast disease that may occur without a lump are:Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Click on the links above to learn more about these two breast cancers.
These two breast cancers may be mistaken for an infection and are often misdiagnosed initially. Misdiagnosis may delay the start of treatment. This is particularly scary as these Inflammatory Breast Cancer is among the most aggressive of breast cancers. Being aware of the signs and symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer and Paget’s disease of the breast could help you recognize these conditions more rapidly and get vital treatment started sooner.
Breast Cancer Tumors
When it comes to tumors or lumps, there are numerous terms that are used to describe them. These terms may seem foreign or technical, but when you break them down they make more sense. A couple of the common terms used refer to 1. The basic structure of the breast and 2. Whether the cancer has moved beyond the tissue the cancer first started growing in.
In the breast there are structures called lobules. Milk is produced in the lobules in the breast. The milk travels from the lobules to the nipples through structures called ducts. So when it comes to cancer (or carcinoma) of the breast, there could be:
Lobular carcinoma – or cancer originating in the lobules
Let’s take lobular carcinoma. The cancer has started in the lobules. From this point the cancer can 1. Remain in the lobules, or 2. Grow into another tissue in the breast (say the fatty tissue). In the first instance, the cancer is said to be “in situ”, or in place and has not travelled outside of the tissue that it first began growing in. In the second instance, the cancer is said to be invasive or infiltrating, as it has not only impacted the lobules, but the other parts of the breast too.
In situ - when it has remained in one tissue type (sometimes called non invasive)
Now, combining all of these terms, there are several potential ways that a breast lump may be classified. See below. Also notice that there is a link to "other types." There are more types of breast cancer than ductal and lobular carcinomas, and I have listed their names. They are somewhat less common than the two that are explained in a little more depth here. There is also a reference to a site that has more detailed information on those types. Click on the links below to learn more about each type of breast cancer:
Lobular carcinoma in situ or Invasive lobular carcinoma
Other Breast Tumor Characteristics Impacting Survival RatesThere has been an enormous amount of research conducted in the past 10 years on breast cancer and in particular tumor characteristics. Below is a list of characteristics about breast tumors, some of which help guide physicians in their decisions around treatments. Click on the links below to learn more about these characteristics and to find links to other reputable web sites that are more technical in nature around these topics:
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