Invasive ductal carcinoma, also called IDC, is an aggressive cancer of the breast ducts. It is the most common type of breast cancer, and accounts for 8 out of 10 cancers, according to BreastCancer.org. During cancer development, breast duct cells begin to proliferate rapidly and evade cell death, leading to the formation of a tumor that can involve one or more ducts, and eventually spread to other tissues around the breast and throughout the body. Patients with IDC may undergo a number of cancer treatments in an effort to control and fight their diseases.
Mastectomy
A common treatment for IDC is breast cancer surgery, which may involve removal of the affected breast. Breast removal surgery is called a mastectomy, and is most commonly used to remove ductal breast cancers that have invaded other tissues within the breast or the lymph nodes surrounding the breast. During the surgery, doctors excise the breast tissue along with the cancer cells, as well as lymph nodes around the breast, the overlying breast skin, areola and nipple, according to HealthCommunities.com. In rare cases, doctors may also remove the chest muscles underneath the breast. Postmastectomy breast reconstruction can often be done immediately following mastectomy.
Tamoxifen
Some women with IDC may receive hormonal therapies such as tamoxifen. Some invasive ductal carcinomas contain factors that allow the cells to sense circulating estrogen in the bloodstream and respond by proliferating. Estrogen signaling can drive invasive ductal carcinoma development, so doctors seek to block estrogen signaling in estrogen-responsive breast cancer cells to slow or stop breast cancer growth. A common drug used to block estrogen signaling is tamoxifen, which prevents the breast cancer cells from sensing estrogen in the bloodstream, according to the National Cancer Institute. Patients must undergo medical testing before receiving hormone-based therapies, such as tamoxifen, to ensure that their invasive ductal cancer will respond to the drug.
Chemotherapy
Many IDC patients also receive chemotherapy as part of their breast cancer treatment strategy. Chemotherapy drugs target cancer growth within and around the breast, and also target any IDC cells that have migrated into distant organs and tissues. Chemo drugs halt breast cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting proteins required for cell division, cause cancer cell death by damaging the structure of the cell, or promote cell death by severely damaging the cells' DNA. Over the course of chemotherapy, breast cancer patients may develop a number of side effects, since chemo drugs can harm healthy tissues, such as hair follicles, as well as invasive ductal carcinoma cells. MedlinePlus indicates that common side effects of chemotherapy treatment include nausea, fatigue and hair loss, though some patients may develop additional side effects during treatment.
