Breast cancer
Breast cancer is a cancer that starts
in the tissues of the breast. There are two types of breast cancer:
Ducal carcinoma:
Starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk
from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.
Lobular carcinoma:
Starts in the parts of the breast, called
lobules that produce milk.
Breast cancer may be invasive or
noninvasive.
Invasive
means - spread from the milk duct or lobule to other tissues in the breast.
Noninvasive
means- it has not yet invaded other breast tissue. Noninvasive breast
cancer is called "in situ."
Ductal
carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or intraductal carcinoma, is breast cancer in the
lining of the milk ducts that has not yet invaded nearby tissues. It may
progress to invasive cancer if untreated.
Lobular
carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is a marker for an increased risk of invasive cancer
in the same or both breasts.
Many breast cancers are sensitive to
the hormone estrogen. This means that high level of estrogen causes the breast cancer.
Such cancers have estrogen receptors on the surface of their cells. They are
called estrogen receptor-positive cancer or ER-positive
cancer.
Some women have HER2-positive breast
cancer. HER2 refers to a gene that helps cells grow, divide, and repair
themselves.
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