Infiltrating Lobular Carcinoma (ILC)
This cancer develops in the milk-producing lobular glands. About 10% of all invasive breast cancers are ILCs, which are curable but can be difficult to spot in mammograms. In many instances, ILCs are not discovered until after they have spread, which complicates the treatment protocol.
Less Common Breast Cancers
The following types of breast cancers are less common – their frequency of occurrence ranges from 5% to less than 1%:
- Inflammatory breast cancer – an aggressive form of cancer that causes swelling and redness in the breast through blockage in the lymph system. Because cancer cells associated with this type are largely undefined in the early stages, this type can spread quickly before diagnosis can be made and treatment begun. Generally speaking, this form of breast cancer probably has the grimmest outlook for survival.
- Medullary carcinoma – a subcategory of IDC, usually found in women between the ages of 45 and 60.
- Tubular carcinoma - another IDC subtype, generally found in women over the age of 50. The long-term survival rate is 95%.
- Mucinous carcinoma – poorly defined, mucous-producing cancer cells give this generally non-life-threatening form of breast cancer its moniker.
- Metaplastic carcinoma – an unusual type of IDC that manifests as cancer cells resembling those normally found in other parts of the body (i.e. the bones, or the skin).
- Triple-negative breast cancer – a type of fast-spreading cancer found in younger and African-American women.
- Papillary carcinoma – a versatile type of breast cancer that occurs in older women; capable of being either invasive or non-invasive.
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma – very unusual type of breast cancer (< 1%) that rarely spreads and it highly curable.
- Paget’s disease of the nipple – spreads from the ducts to the nipple, where it causes itching, bleeding, and crusting, similar to skin cancer.
- Phyllodes tumor – the only breast cancer to start in the connective tissue, or stoma. In most cases tumors here are benign, so this cancer is quite rare.
Treatments Differ, but Early Detection Tells the Tale
While the treatment modalities and overall prognosis can differ somewhat by type of breast cancer, it is important to remember that all breast cancers can be vanquished. Certainly, it is important for a woman to know just exactly what form of breast cancer she has, so she can know what needs to be done and what she will be facing in the months ahead. Nevertheless, early detection is still the most critical factor determining long-term survival rates. This is why regular mammograms are such a necessity for all women who have known risk factors for breast cancer.
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