Recognize the various types of breast cancer

When you are diagnosed with breast cancer, your doctor will find out what type or type of breast cancer you have. Knowing this type of disease can help doctors determine the right breast cancer treatment. Then what are the types? Here's the explanation for you.

Various types of breast cancer are common

Breast cancer arises because of the growth of abnormal and uncontrolled cells in the breast tissue. This disease can start from the milk ducts (ducts), mammary glands (lobules), or the connective tissue in them.

In most cases, breast cancer begins with abnormal cell formation in the ducts and lobules. Meanwhile, cases that start from connective tissue are rare.

At these locations, cancer cells develop and have certain properties. There are two characteristics of cancer cells in general, namely noninvasive cancer or in-situ cancer and invasive cancer (malignant cancer).

If the cancer cells remain in their original location, in this case in the breast, do not burst and do not spread, this type is called noninvasive or in situ cancer. Meanwhile, when cancer cells have spread and attacked the surrounding tissue, this type is called invasive (malignant cancer).

Based on the location and nature of the cancer cells, breast cancer is divided into several types. Here are the various types of breast cancer that are most common:

1. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

Ductal carcinoma in situ is a noninvasive type of breast cancer that starts in the tissue of the milk ducts (ducts). This condition is not life threatening and can still be cured. However, if treatment is too late, this condition can develop into invasive breast cancer.

2.Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) occurs due to abnormal cell growth in the lobule tissue of the breast. LCIS ​​is also known as lolubar neoplasia.

Although abnormal, LCIS does not include cancer. However, if you are diagnosed with LCIS, you are at risk of developing invasive breast cancer in the future.

3.Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)

Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society says, eight out of ten cases of breast cancer, belong to this type.

This type of cancer begins with the growth of cancer cells in the milk ducts (ducts). From this location, cancer cells become malignant, so they break through the duct walls and eventually attack other nearby breast tissue.

From there, cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body via the lymph system and the bloodstream.

4.Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC)

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is a type of breast cancer that starts in the lobules of the breast, which then invades other nearby breast tissue and even other organs.

ILC can occur in women of any age, but it is more common in women aged 45-55 years. As many as 1 in 5 women experience this type of cancer in their breasts.

Invasive lobular carcinoma is usually more difficult to detect through a physical breast cancer examination or mammography. Doctors generally use several other imaging tests, such as an MRI of the breast, to diagnose this disease.

Various types of breast cancer are rare

Apart from the types above, some invasive breast cancer can also develop in different ways. This type of cancer is rare, but the cases can be more serious than other types of breast cancer.

1.Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC)

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is similar to invasive ductal carcinomal, but it has different symptoms. Symptoms of IBC breast cancer in general, namely the presence of inflammation, such as swelling and redness, as well as thickening or dimples on the skin, making it look like orange peel.

This condition occurs due to cancer cells blocking the lymph vessels (lymph nodes) in the skin.

IBCs tend to grow and spread rapidly. In addition, the symptoms can worsen within days or even hours. Therefore, IBC is generally first diagnosed when it is in an advanced breast cancer stage.

2. Breast Paget disease

Paget's disease of the breast is a rare type of breast cancer that specifically affects the nipple and areola (the brown area around the nipple).

This breast cancer symptom can be very similar to an eczema rash because it causes the skin around the nipples to become very dry. In addition, the nipples may also bleed or have a yellow discharge accompanied by itching or burning.

This nipple cancer usually affects only one nipple and tends to be associated with ductal carcinoma in situ. Paget's disease is usually treated with a mastectomy, followed by radiation therapy.

3. Phyllodes tumor

Phyllodes is a rare breast tumor that develops in the connective tissue of the breast. Most of these tumors are benign, but 1 in 4 cases can be malignant. This condition generally affects women in their 40s.

4. Breast angiosarcoma

This type of breast cancer is very rare. Of all breast cancer cases, less than one percent develop breast angiosarcoma. Angiosarcomas appear first in the cells lining the blood vessels or lymph vessels in the breast, and attack the breast tissue or skin.

Breast angiosarcoma cancer usually occurs as a result of radiation exposure to the breast.

Types of breast cancer based on subtypes

Some types of breast cancer contain certain proteins that are receptors for the hormones estrogen and / or progesterone. When estrogen and progesterone attach to these receptors, both hormones will trigger cancer growth.

Therefore, in addition to seeing the potential for spread, doctors will also look at the status of these hormones in breast cancer cells, so that treatment can be more effective. By keeping estrogen and progesterone from sticking to the receptors, cancer cells do not grow and spread.

Based on hormone status, breast cancer can be classified as follows:

• ER-positive (ER +), which is breast cancer that has estrogen receptors.
• PR-positive (PR +), namely breast cancer with progestoren receptors.
• Hormone receptor positive (HR +), if the cancer cell has one or both of the receptors above.
• Hormone receptor negative (HR-), if cancer cells do not have estrogen or progesterone receptors.

Apart from seeing the hormone status, the doctor will also look at the HER2 protein status in breast cancer. The reason is, some women have tumors with higher levels of protein (HER2), which is called the HER2-positive type of breast cancer.

The HER2 can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. In the HER2 positive type of breast cancer, the cancer cells tend to grow and spread faster than other breast cancers.

Based on the hormone status and the HER2 protein level, doctors generally regroup the types of breast cancer. This grouping makes it easier for doctors to provide the right treatment.

1. Luminal breast cancer A

Luminal A breast cancer includes tumors that are ER positive, PR positive, but HER2 negative. In this type, generally the patient will receive hormone therapy treatment and may receive chemotherapy.

2. Luminal breast cancer B

This type of breast cancer includes tumors that are ER positive, PR negative, and HER2 positive. Patients of this type generally receive chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy for HER2.

3. HER2-positive breast cancer

As the name implies, this type of breast cancer is HER2 positive, but ER and PR negative. HER2 positive breast cancer is the type most often experienced by women.

This type of cancer is usually treated successfully with targeted therapy aimed at the HER2 protein, such as Herceptin (trastuzumab) or Tykerb (lapatinib).

4. Triple negative breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer is a type that is negative for estrogen, progesterone, and also HER-2. This type of cancer is more common in premenopausal women and women with a mutation in the BRCA1 gene (a cancer risk gene). Treatment of this type generally includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy for breast cancer.

5. Breast cancer normal-like

This breast cancer is similar to type A luminal, which is hormone receptor positive and HER2 negative. However, this type has a slightly worse prognosis than luminal A.