You will be shocked to know that breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer among women after lung cancer. Though lots of awareness programmes are organized, still people are not free from taboo and make it late to see a doctor. Actually, breast cancer is a type of cancer which causes the mutation of breast tissues that reproduce damaged cells faster. These entire abnormal cells gather together to form a tumor. A tumor can be benign or cancerous. If it is cancerous or malignant, these abnormal cells grow rapidly and invade other parts of the breast. As soon as they start metastasized, they will start spreading in other body parts through the lymphatic system or through the bloodstream.
Usually, breast cancer attacks the milk-producing glands at first. These are known as lobules. Otherwise, they may affect the tube-shaped ducts that carry milk from lobules to nipples. If you have a history of breast cancer in your family, you should know facts about breast cancer treatment in India and more.
Different Types of Breast Cancer
There are different types of breast cancer that can threaten you. Some breast cancer affects your breast; while there are other those are a combination of other cancers. The most common types of breast cancer are as follows-
- Ductal carcinoma in SITU: This is the most common type of breast cancer and it is noninvasive. As this type of cancer doesn’t spread to other body parts, the cure rate is quite higher than other types of cancer.
- Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: This type of cancer attacks the glands of the breast that produce milk. Actually, 10% of breast cancer belongs to this group.
- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Initially, this cancer starts from the duct of the breast and then spread to the surrounding tissue. This is one of the most common types of breast cancer. Approximately 80% incident of breast cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma.
- Mucinous Carcinoma: This is formed in the mucus-producing cells of the breast. Here, a variety of cells grow abruptly and form the tumor.
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer: In this type of cancer, the skin of the breast gets red and warm. These are the signs of infection. This happens due to the blockage in the lymph vessels by the cancer cells.
- Medullary Carcinoma: This is quite well-defined cancer. That means there is a clear boundary between the cancerous and the non-cancerous cells.
Apart from the above, major types of breast cancer, there are certain other common types of cancer, like-
- Triple-negative breast cancer
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma
- Paget’s disease of the nipple
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
The symptoms of breast cancer are quite vivid. If you are careful enough you can find them out at right time-
- A lump in the breast and armpit
- Inverted nipple
- Nipple discharge, especially blood
- Dimpling of the breast’s skin
- Change in the shape and size of breast and nipple
Here, you get enough idea about breast cancer. If you have a family history of breast cancer, it is time to visit a doctor and also be careful from an early age.