Ductal carcinoma
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Ductal carcinoma is a very common type of breast cancer in women. It comes in two forms: infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC), an invasive cell type; and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a noninvasive cancer.
DCIS is the most common type of noninvasive breast cancer in women. Ductal carcinoma refers to the development of cancer cells within the milk ducts of the breast. In situ means "in place" and refers to the fact that the cancer has not moved out of the duct and into any surrounding tissue. DCIS can be difficult to detect by physical examination and is usually discovered through a mammogram as very small specs of calcium known as microcalcifications. However, not all microcalcifications indicate the presence of DCIS, which must be confirmed by biopsy. DCIS may be multifocal, and treatment is aimed at excising all of the abnormal duct elements, leaving "clear margins", an area of much debate. After excision treatment often includes local radiation therapy.
IDC, formed in the ducts of breast in the earliest stage, is the most common, most heterogeneous invasive breast cancer cell type. It accounts for 80% of all types of breast cancer. On a mammography, it is usually visualized as a mass with fine spikes radiating from the edges, and small microcalcification may be seen as well. On physical examination, this lump usually feels much harder or firmer than the one with benign breast lesions. On microscopic examination, the cancerous cells invade and replace the surrounding normal tissue inside the breast.
Special histologic subtypes of IDC may vary in prognosis, survival, and recurrence rates: the ones with histology of mucinous, papillary, cribriform, and tubular carcinomas have a better prognosis, longer survival, and lower recurrence rates than those with histology like signet-ring cell carcinoma, carcinoma with sarcomatoid metaplasia, and inflammatory carcinoma.
[edit] Reference
- Original text on IDC from Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
