Breast cancer forms in the tissues of the breast, usually in the ducts or glands that produce or carry the milk to the nipples. According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 192,000 new cases were diagnosed in 2009. Treatment is available to beat this disease; however, the treatment prescribed depends on the type of breast cancer you are diagnosed with.
Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ (DCIS)
The most common type of non-invasive breast cancer, DCIS begins in the milk ducts and does not spread beyond the tissue of the breast. While not considered life-threatening, this form of breast cancer poses the risk of returning later in the form of an invasive cancer.
Treatment for DCIS varies; some women undergo a lumpectomy, which is a procedure that removes only the tumor and some of the healthy tissue surrounding the site of the cancer. When performed without any other form of treatment, the chances of recurrence are 25 to 30 percent, according to breastcancer.org. However, if radiation therapy is used in combination with the surgery, the risk drops to 15 percent.
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC)
IDC, also referred to as infiltrating carcinoma, is the most common form of all invasive breast cancers. It accounts for 80 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread to surrounding tissues, and those with IDC generally require removal of their breast and lymph nodes. In some cases it may be necessary to remove the lining of the chest muscles, or the muscles themselves, depending on how far the cancer has spread.
While IDC can strike any woman at any age, it is most commonly seen in older women, 2/3 of whom are over the age of 55. This type of breast cancer can affect men as well. Along with surgery, radiation therapy is typically used in treatment, as is chemotherapy.
Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC)
Considered the second-most common type of cancer following IDC, it accounts for 10 percent of all invasive breast cancers. ILC begins in the milk ducts and spreads to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body. In many cases, the cancer finds its way to the muscles of the chest wall under the breast. Whereas IDC tends to affect women who are over the age of 50, ILC frequently affects women over the age of 60.
As is the case with most breast cancers, the first treatment choice is surgery, in which the breast, lymph nodes and any affected tissues or muscles surrounding the breast, are removed. Surgery is then followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy. In some cases, hormonal or targeted therapies may also be implemented.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)
A rare form of breast cancer, affecting only 1 to 5 percent of women in the United States, it is also a very aggressive form. Rather than a distinct lump that is easily recognizable, IBC begins with a reddening or swelling of the breast. It also spreads quickly--usually within days or even hours--which makes it vital to seek treatment as soon as you notice something is wrong.
Breastcancer.org states that the average age for onset is 57; however, among African-American women, the average age is 52. Unlike other types of breast cancer, surgery is not the first treatment option due to the aggressiveness of the cancer. Instead, a combination of treatments are used right from the start. These include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and targeted therapies. This approach appears to control the cancer more effectively.
Male Breast Cancer
Breast cancer in men is rare, affecting only 1 percent of the male population. However, because men have breast tissue, they, too, are at risk for developing this disease.
The symptoms of male breast cancer are very similar to those experienced by women; lumps in the breast, nipple discharge, enlarged lymph nodes under the arm and nipple pain. Treatment options are also similar and depend on the size of the tumor and how advanced the cancer is. These options include surgery to remove the tumor followed by radiation or chemotherapy, and targeted and hormonal therapy.
