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What is Ductal carcinoma?
Ductal carcinoma is the most common form of breast cancer. It develops in the ducts that carry the milk from the lobules (milk glands) to the nipple. Ductal carcinomas can be either in situ or invasive breast cancer.
Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.
The breast is made up of lobes and ducts. Each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes, which have many smaller sections called lobules. Lobules end in dozens of tiny bulbs that can produce milk. The lobes, lobules, and bulbs are linked by thin tubes called ducts.
The most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma, which begins in the cells of the ducts. Cancer that begins in the lobes or lobules is called lobular carcinoma and is more often found in both breasts than are other types of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is an uncommon type of breast cancer in which the breast is warm, red, and swollen.
Types of Ductal carcinoma:
There are two types of Ductal carcinomas it can be:
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)
In ductal carcinoma in situ, cancer cells are present inside the milk ducts but they have not yet spread through the walls of the ducts into the fatty tissue of the breast. For this reason, nearly 100% of women diagnosed at an early stage can be cured. The best way to monitor and prevent getting ductal carcinoma in situ is with a yearly mammogram. Left unchecked, it may develop into invasive breast cancer.
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC)
Invasive ductal carcinoma accounts for nearly 80% of breast cancers. It also begins in a milk duct, but unlike ductal carcinoma in situ, it invades the fatty tissue of the breast. This invasive carcinoma has the potential to metastasize [meh-TAS-ti-size], or spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. It is important to detect and treat invasive ductal carcinoma before it has had time to metastasize and spread to other organs.
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