Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) - Breastcancer.org

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), also called infiltrating ductal carcinoma, is the most common type of breast cancer. About 80% of all ... AboutyouNewlydiagnosedIntreatmentFinishedmytreatmentLivingwithmetastaticdiseaseConcernedaboutmyriskCaringforsomeoneLearnBycategoryAboutbreastcancerTypesofbreastcancerSignsandsymptomsTreatmentoptionsSideeffectsManaginglifewithcancerBytypeResearchnewsPersonalstoriesPodcastepisodesVideosSurgicalimagegalleryCommunityDiscussionforumJoinourcommunityAlltopicsActivetopicsFindmembersSearchUsefulresourcesDiscussionforumguidelinesGuidetocommonabbreviationsNeedhelpfromourmoderators?DonateTypesofBreastCancerInvasiveDuctalCarcinoma(IDC)Invasiveductalcarcinoma(IDC),alsocalledinfiltratingductalcarcinoma,isthemostcommontypeofbreastcancer.About80%ofallbreastcancersareIDC. Reviewedby1medicaladviser AdvertisementSectionsSymptomsofinvasiveductalcarcinomaDiagnosisofinvasiveductalcarcinomaStaginginvasiveductalcarcinomaTreatmentofinvasiveductalcarcinomaSurvivorshipcareafterinvasiveductalcarcinomatreatmentSubtypesofinvasiveductalcarcinomaAdvertisementInvasiveductalcarcinoma(IDC),alsocalledinfiltratingductalcarcinoma,isthemostcommontypeofbreastcancer.About80%ofallbreastcancersareIDC,accordingtotheAmericanCancerSociety.AdvertisementInvasivemeansthecancerhasspreadintosurroundingbreasttissues.Ductalmeansthecancerstartedinthemilkducts,thetubesthatcarrymilkfromthelobulestothenipple.Carcinomareferstoanycancerthatbeginsintheskinorothertissuesthatcoverinternalorgans,suchasbreasttissue.AccordingtotheAmericanCancerSociety,about281,550newcasesofinvasivebreastcancerwillbediagnosedinwomenin2021andmostofthesewillbeIDC.Normalbreastwithinvasiveductalcarcinoma(IDC)inanenlargedcross-sectionoftheductBreastprofile:A DuctsB LobulesC DilatedsectionofducttoholdmilkD NippleE FatF PectoralismajormuscleG Chestwall/ribcageEnlargement:A NormalductcellBDuctalcancercellsbreakingthroughthebasementmembraneC BasementmembraneAdvertisement SymptomsofinvasiveductalcarcinomaAdvertisementInmanycases,invasiveductalcarcinomacausesnosymptomsandisfoundafteryourdoctorseesasuspiciousareaonascreeningmammogram.AdvertisementInothercases,youoryourdoctormayfeelalumpormassinyourbreast.Anyofthefollowingchangesinthebreastcanbeafirstsignofinvasiveductalcarcinoma:AdvertisementAdvertisementswellingofallorpartofthebreastAdvertisementskinirritationAdvertisementskindimpling,sometimeslookinglikeanorangepeelAdvertisementbreastornipplepainAdvertisementnippleturninginward(retraction)Advertisementnippledischarge,otherthanbreastmilkAdvertisementredness,scaliness,orthickeningofthenippleorbreastskinAdvertisementalumporswellingintheunderarmareaAdvertisement DiagnosisofinvasiveductalcarcinomaAdvertisementDiagnosinginvasiveductalcarcinomainvolvesacombinationofproceduresandalmostalwaysincludes:AdvertisementAdvertisementbreastphysicalexamAdvertisementmammogramAdvertisementbiopsyAdvertisementOtherteststhatmaybeusedare:AdvertisementAdvertisementultrasoundAdvertisementbreastMRIAdvertisement StaginginvasiveductalcarcinomaAdvertisementThestageofinvasiveductalcarcinomaisdeterminedbythecancer’scharacteristics,suchashowlargeitisandwhetherornotithashormonereceptors.Thestageofthecancerhelpsyouandyourdoctor:AdvertisementAdvertisementfigureoutyourprognosis,whichisthelikelyoutcomeofthediseaseAdvertisementdecideonthebesttreatmentoptionsforyouAdvertisementdetermineifcertainclinicaltrialsmaybeagoodoptionforyouAdvertisementGenerally,thestageofinvasiveductalcarcinomaisdescribedasanumberonascaleofIthroughIV.StagesI,II,andIIIdescribeearly-stagecancers,andstageIVdescribescancersthathavespreadoutsidethebreasttootherpartsofthebody,suchasthebonesorliver.AdvertisementOnceinvasiveductalcarcinomahasbeendiagnosed,yourdoctorwilldomoreteststocollectinformationonthecharacteristicsofthecancer.Thesetests,aswellastheresultsofyourbiopsy,makeupthepartsofyourpathologyreport.AdvertisementInformationcommonlycollectedaspartofapathologyreportincludes:AdvertisementAdvertisementsizeofthebreastcancerAdvertisementNottinghamgradeofthecancerAdvertisementtumornecrosisAdvertisementtumormarginsAdvertisementlymphovascularinvasionAdvertisementlymphnodestatusAdvertisementhormonereceptorstatusAdvertisementHER2statusAdvertisementrateofcellgrowth(Ki-67levels)Advertisement TreatmentofinvasiveductalcarcinomaAdvertisementTreatmentsforinvasiveductalcarcinomamayinclude:AdvertisementAdvertisementsurgery:Youandyourdoctorwillworktogethertodeterminethetypeofsurgerythat’srightforyou,basedonthecharacteristicsofthecancer,yourfamilyandmedicalhistory,andyourpreferences.Advertisementradiationtherapy:Radiationtherapyisalmostalwaysrecommendedafterlumpectomyandmayberecommendedaftermastectomyifthecancerislargeorifcancerisfoundinthelymphnodes.Advertisementchemotherapy:Chemotherapymaybegivenbeforeoraftersurgery.Yourdoctorwillconsiderthecharacteristicsofthebreastcancerandyourmedicalhistorywhendecidingifchemotherapyisrightforyouruniquesituation.Advertisementhormonaltherapy:Ifthebreastcancerhasreceptorsforthehormonesestrogen,progesterone,orboth,yourdoctorlikelywillrecommendhormonaltherapy,whichisalsocalledanti-estrogentherapyorendocrinetherapy.Hormonaltherapymedicinesworkbyloweringtheamountofestrogeninthebodyorbyblockingtheactionofestrogenonbreastcancercells.Advertisementtargetedtherapy:Targetedcancertherapiesaretreatmentsthattargetspecificcharacteristicsofcancercells,suchasaproteinthatallowsthecancercellstogrowinarapidorabnormalway.Sometargetedtherapiesareantibodies.Antibodiesareproteinsmadenaturallybyyourimmunesystemthatfindandattackforeigninvaders,suchasgermsthatcauseinfection.Thesetypesoftargetedtherapiesworkjustliketheantibodiesmadenaturallybyyourimmunesystem,andaresometimescalledimmunetargetedtherapies.Advertisementimmunotherapy:Immunotherapymedicinesuseyourbody’simmunesystemtoattackcancercells.Thecharacteristicsofthecancerwilldetermineifimmunotherapyisatreatmentoptionforyou.Advertisement SurvivorshipcareafterinvasiveductalcarcinomatreatmentAdvertisementBecauseofbetterdiagnostictestsandadvancesincancertreatments,morepeoplearelivinglongerthaneverafterbeingdiagnosedwithanytypeofcancer,includingbreastcancer.Expertsestimatethattherearemorethan3.8millionbreastcancersurvivorsintheUnitedStates.AdvertisementStill,becauseoftreatmentsthey’vereceived,manybreastcancersurvivorshaveahigherriskofdevelopingotherdiseasesastheyage,includinghighbloodpressure,heartdisease,andosteoporosis.Tomakesurebreastcancersurvivorsareregularlyscreenedfortheseandotherdiseases,expertshavedevelopedtheideaofsurvivorshipcareplanning.AdvertisementSurvivorshipcareplansarewrittendocumentsmadeupoftwoparts.AdvertisementThefirstpartisatreatmentsummary,arecordofallthebreastcancertreatmentsyou’vereceived.AdvertisementThesecondpartisbasicallyaroadmapofwhatyoucanexpectintheyearsaftertreatment,includinganylateorlong-termsideeffectsyoumighthave,andascheduleofhowyou’llbemonitoredforthesesideeffectsandotherhealthconditions.Thispartofthesurvivorshipcareplanusuallyincludes:AdvertisementAdvertisementthetestsyou’llhaveAdvertisementwhichdoctorswillorderthetestsAdvertisementascheduleofwhenthetestswillbedoneAdvertisementhealthylivingrecommendationsAdvertisementresources,ifyouneedmoreinformationAdvertisementLearnmoreatBeforeTreatment:PlanningAheadforSurvivorship.Advertisement SubtypesofinvasiveductalcarcinomaAdvertisementThereareseveralraresubtypesofinvasiveductalcarcinoma.Theseareoftennamedforfeaturesseenwhenthecellsarelookedatunderamicroscope,suchasthewaythecellsarearranged.Thesymptoms,diagnosis,staging,treatmentoptions,andsurvivorshipcarearegenerallythesameforallIDCsubtypes.AdvertisementLearnmoreaboutthefollowingIDCsubtypesbelow:AdvertisementAdvertisementTubularcarcinomaofthebreastAdvertisementMedullarycarcinomaofthebreastAdvertisementMucinouscarcinomaofthebreastAdvertisementPapillarycarcinomaofthebreastAdvertisementCribriformcarcinomaofthebreastAdvertisementMetaplasticcarcinomaofthebreastAdvertisementTubularcarcinomasofthebreastaccountforlessthan2%ofallbreastcancers.Whenlookedatunderamicroscope,thecellsofatubularcarcinomalookliketubes.Thesetumorstendtobelow-grade,meaningthattheircellslooksomewhatsimilartonormal,healthycells,andtendtogrowslowly.Tubularcarcinomasareusuallyhormonereceptor-positiveandHER2-negative.AdvertisementMedullarycarcinomasofthebreastaccountforlessthan5%ofallbreastcancers.Itiscalled“medullary”carcinomabecausethetumorisasoft,fleshymassthatresemblesapartofthebraincalledthemedulla.MedullarycarcinomasaremorecommoninwomenwhohaveaBRCA1mutation.Also,medullarycarcinomasareoftentriple-negative,whichmeanstheyareestrogenreceptor-negative,progesteronereceptor-negative,andHER2-negative.Butunlikemosttriple-negativebreastcancers,whichtendtobemoreaggressive,medullarycarcinomadoesn’tgrowquicklyandusuallydoesn’tspreadoutsidethebreasttothelymphnodes.Medullarycarcinomacellsareusuallyhigh-gradeintheirappearanceandlow-gradeintheirbehavior.Inotherwords,theylooklikeaggressive,highlyabnormalcancercells,buttheydon’tactlikethem.AdvertisementMucinouscarcinomasofthebreast—alsocalledcolloidcarcinomas—accountforlessthan2%ofallbreastcancers.Inmucinouscarcinoma,thetumorismadeupofabnormalcellsthat“float”inpoolsofmucin,akeyingredientinmucus.Mucinouscarcinomasareusuallylow-grade,meaningthecellslooksomewhatsimilartohealthycells,andusuallydon’tspreadoutsidethebreasttothelymphnodes.Mucinouscarcinomasareusuallyhormonereceptor-positiveandHER2-negative.AdvertisementPapillarycarcinomasofthebreastaccountforlessthan1%ofallbreastcancers.Whenthecellsarelookedatunderamicroscope,theyhavefinger-likeprojectionsor“papules.”Papillarycarcinomasareusuallysmall,hormonereceptor-positive,andHER2-negative.Inmostcasesofpapillarycarcinoma,ductalcarcinomainsitu(DCIS)isalsopresent.DCISisnon-invasivebreastcancerthathasnotspreadoutsidethemilkductswhereitstarted.AdvertisementCribriformcarcinomasofthebreastaccountforlessthan1%ofallbreastcancers.Ininvasivecribriformcarcinoma,thecancercellsinvadethestroma(connectivetissuesofthebreast)innestlikeformationsbetweentheductsandlobules.Withinthetumor,therearedistinctiveholesinbetweenthecancercells,makingitlooksomethinglikeSwisscheese.Invasivecribriformcarcinomaisusuallylowgrade,meaningthatitscellslookandbehavesomewhatlikenormal,healthybreastcells.AdvertisementMetaplasticcarcinomasofthebreastaccountforlessthan1%ofallbreastcancers.Metaplasticbreastcancerscontainabnormalductalcells,butalsocontaincellsthatlooklikethesofttissueandconnectivetissueinthebreast.Theductalcellshavechangedtheirformtobecomecompletelydifferentcells,thoughit’snotclearhoworwhythishappens.Whencellschangeformit’scalledmetaplasia,whichgivesthistypeofbreastcanceritsname.Metaplasticbreastcancerisconsideredmoreaggressiveandisusuallyhighgradeandtriple-negative,meaningitisestrogenreceptor-negative,progesteronereceptor-negative,andHER2-negative.Reviewedby1medicaladviser JenniSheng,MDJohnsHopkinsUniversitySchoolofMedicine,Baltimore,MDLearnmoreaboutouradvisoryboard—LastupdatedonFebruary7,2022,9:59PMMorefromthistopicInvasiveDuctalCarcinoma(IDC)InvasiveLobularCarcinoma(ILC)Triple-NegativeBreastCancerInflammatoryBreastCancerMetastaticBreastCancerRecurrentBreastCancerWasthisarticlehelpful?YesNoAdvertisementJoinintheconversationaboutInvasiveDuctalCarcinoma(IDC)Connectwithasupportivecommunityofpeoplediscussingthousandsoftopicsinhundredsofforumsonourdiscussionboards.Ourcommunitywelcomesanyoneandeveryonediagnosedwithbreastcancer,concernedaboutabreastcondition,orcaringforalovedoneaffectedbybreastcancer.Learnmore