Each breast contains a number of specialized cell types, organized to form the glandular tissue of the breast and the supporting tissue. Breast glandular tissue contains lobules that produce and secrete breast milk, as well as ducts, which carry milk to the nipple. Breast cancer occurs due to mutations to breast glandular tissue, leading to the formation of a tumor. The cancer becomes locally advanced when a cancerous growth remains undetected and the cancer progresses into an aggressive tumor that invades other regions within the breast. There are a number of forms of locally advanced breast cancer.
Ductal Breast Cancer
The most common form of locally aggressive breast cancer is ductal breast cancer, which accounts for around 80 percent of breast cancer cases, according to BreastCancer.org. Ductal breast cancer develops within the glandular ducts of the breast--the glandular tubes that carry milk from the breast lobules to the nipple. Patients with locally aggressive ductal breast cancer develop a palpable lump in the breast that typically feels firm and localized within one part of the breast. As ductal cancer progresses, cancer cells can migrate away from the initial tumor and travel throughout the body in a process known as metastasis. Locally advanced ductal breast cancer may be treated with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapies.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
An aggressive form of locally advanced breast cancer is inflammatory breast cancer, a disease in which cancer cells block the lymph vessels of the breast. As a result, the cancer growth blocks the drainage of lymphatic fluid from the breast, leading to a swelling of the affected breast. The cancerous breast also becomes red, inflamed and painful and feels unusually warm to the touch. There may be a dimpling or wrinkling of the overlying breast skin, along with an inversion of the nipple, according to the National Cancer Institute. Inflammatory breast cancer develops quickly and readily spreads to lymph nodes around the breast. The cancer is commonly treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery and hormonal or targeted therapies to kill cancer cells.
Lobular Breast Cancer
Another form of locally advanced breast cancer develops from the milk-producing glandular lobule tissue, forming lobular breast cancer. This form of cancer accounts for around 10 percent of breast cancer cases, according to CancerHelp UK. Lobular breast cancer often does not form a palpable lump within the breast and may therefore develop into locally advanced cancer before it can be diagnosed. Patients may notice a slight thickening of some parts of the breast as the cancer grows, corresponding to the enlargement of lobules within the breast. Once diagnosed, patients with locally advanced lobular breast cancer may receive surgery to remove the cancer cells, along with chemotherapy, radiation treatment and hormonal or targeted therapies.
