Invasive breast cancer - Cancer Research UK

Invasive breast cancer means that the cancer cells have grown through the lining of the ducts into the surrounding breast tissue. NST stands for No Special ... Skiptomaincontent HomeAboutcancerBreastcancerBreastcancerstages,typesandgradesTypesofbreastcancerandrelatedconditionsInvasivebreastcancer Invasivebreastcancer(nospecialtypeorNST)isthemostcommontypeofbreastcancer. Whatisinvasivebreastcancer(NST)? Invasivebreastcancermeansthatthecancercellshavegrownthroughtheliningoftheductsintothesurroundingbreasttissue.NSTstandsforNoSpecialType. Mostinvasivebreastcancershavenospecialfeaturesand areclassedasNoSpecialType.NSTissometimescalledNOS(nototherwisespecified).Itwaspreviouslyknownasinvasiveductalcarcinoma.Around70outof100(around70%)invasivebreastcancersarethistype. Specialtypemeansthatwhenthedoctorlooksatthecancercellsunderamicroscope thecellshaveparticularfeatures.Breastcancersthatareclassedasspecialtypeincludesomeraretypesofbreastcancer. Remember thatifyourdoctorhastoldyouthatyouhaveductalcarcinomainsitu(DCIS),youdon'thaveinvasivebreastcancer. GotoinformationaboutDCIS SymptomsofinvasivebreastcancerMakeanappointmenttoseeyourdoctorifyounoticeanythingdifferentorunusualaboutthelookandfeelofyourbreasts. Thesymptomsofbreastcancerinclude: anewlumporthickeninginyourbreastorarmpitachangeinsize,shapeorfeelofyourbreastskinchangesinthebreastsuchaspuckering,dimpling,arashorrednessoftheskinfluidleakingfromthenippleinawomanwhoisn’tpregnantorbreastfeedingchangesinthepositionofnipple Diagnosinginvasivebreastcancer Inmanypeoplethecancerisfoundduringbreastscreening. It’simportantthatyouseeyourGPifyouhaveanysymptoms.Theymayreferyoutoaspecialistbreastclinic.Atthebreastclinicthedoctororspecialistnursetakesyourmedicalhistoryandexaminesyourbreasts.Theyalsofeelforanyswollen(enlarged)lymphnodesunderyourarmsandatthebaseofyourneck. Youmayhavesomeorallofthefollowingtests: amammogram(anx-rayofthebreasts)anultrasound(ifyouareunder35youaremorelikelytohaveanultrasoundscaninsteadofamammogram)abiopsy–asmallsampleofcellsortissueistakenfromyourbreastandlookedatunderamicroscope Changesseenonthemammogramorultrasoundcould beduetocancer,soyoumayhaveabiopsyofthebreast.Youmightalsohaveanultrasoundofthelymphnodesunderyourarm.Youmayalsohavelymphnodebiopsiesiftheylookabnormal. Youshouldgetyourresultswithin1or2weeksatafollowupappointment.  Readabouttestsforbreastcancer TreatmentTodecideonthemostappropriatetreatment,doctorsgenerallytakeintoaccount:  thetypeofbreastcancerthesizeofthecancerandwhetherithasspread(thestage)howabnormalthecellslookunderthemicroscope(thegrade)whetherthecancercellshavereceptorsforparticularhormoneswhetherthecellshavereceptorsfortargetedcancerdrugtherapyyourgeneralhealth Forinvasivebreastcanceryoumighthave: surgerytothebreastradiotherapychemotherapyhormonetherapytargeteddrugtherapydrugsthathelppreventorslowdownbonethinning(osteoporosis)orbonedamageacombinationofthesetreatments Youmayhavesurgerytoyourarmpitcalledasentinellymphnodebiopsy.Thismeanshavingabout3-5lymphnodesremoved.Sometimessurgeonshavetoremovemorelymphnodes.Yourdoctorwillletyouknowwhetheryouneedthis.  Youmighthavechemotherapyorhormonetherapybeforesurgerycalledneoadjuvanttherapy.Theaimistoshrinkthecancerdown.Thismeansthatsomepeoplemaybeableto havebreastconservingsurgery,whomight haveneededremovalofthebreast(mastectomy).  Breast-conservingsurgeryremovesthecancerwhileleavingasmuchnormalbreasttissueaspossible.Somepeoplemayhaveamastectomy,thisissurgerytoremovethewholebreast. Ifyouhaveamastectomyyoumightbeabletohaveanewbreastmade(breastreconstruction).Thismaybeatthesametimeasthemastectomyorsometimeafterwards. Yourdoctorconsidersmanythingsbeforedecidingthebesttreatmentforyou.Thisiswhyyourtreatmentmaybedifferentfromotherpeoplewithbreastcancer. Findoutabouttreatmentsforbreastcancer Followup Aftertreatmentyouusuallyhaveregularcheckups.Atthecheckupsyourdoctororabreastcarenurse willexamineyouandaskaboutyourgeneralhealth. Thisisyourchancetoaskquestionsandtotellthemifanythingisworryingyou. Howoftenyouhavecheckupsdependsonyourindividualsituationbutyou mighthavethem foratleast5years.Thismightinclude yearlymammograms.  It’simportanttorememberthatyoucancontactyourdoctorornursebetweenappointmentsifyouareworried aboutasymptomorhavequestions.Youdon'thavetowaitforyour nextappointment.YoucanalsospeaktoyourGP. Insomehospitalsyoudon'thaveregularappointmentsaftertreatment.Butifyouhavenewsymptomsorareworriedaboutanythingyoucanphoneyourdoctororbreastcarenurseormakeanappointmenttoseethem.  UKguidelinessaythateveryonewhohashadtreatmentforearlybreastcancershouldhaveacopyofawrittencareplan.Thecareplanhasinformationabouttestsyouwillhave,andsignsandsymptomstolookoutfor.Itwillalsoincludecontactdetailsforspecialiststaff,suchasyourbreastcarenurse. Readmoreaboutbreastcancerfollowup Trialsandresearch Invasivebreastcanceristhemostcommontypeofbreastcancer. Somostbreastcancerresearchislookingatthistype. Researchincludes: thecausesandpreventionofbreastcancerscreeninganddiagnosisnewtreatmentswaystoimproveexistingtreatmentswaystocopewithcanceranditstreatment Lookforbreastcancertrials Relatedcontent Relatedlinks Aboutbreastcancer Gettingdiagnosed Breastscreening Stages,typesandgrades Treatmentforbreastcancer Breastcancersurvival Coronavirusandcancer Weknowit’saworryingtimeforpeoplewithcancer,wehaveinformationtohelp. Moreinformation Relatedlinks Aboutbreastcancer Breastcanceriscancerthatstartsinthebreasttissue.Findoutaboutwhogetsbreastcancerand whereitstarts. Gettingdiagnosed Findoutaboutscreening,seeing yourGP andthetestsyoumighthaveforbreastcancerorotherbreastconditions. Breastscreening FindoutabouttheUKbreastscreeningprogramme,whohasscreening,andhowyouhaveit. Stages,typesandgrades GetinformationaboutthenumberandTNMstagingsystemsandthegradesandtypesofbreastcancer. Treatmentforbreastcancer Findoutaboutbreastcancertreatments,whereandhowyouhavethem,andhowtocopewithpossiblesideeffects. Breastcancersurvival Survivalisgenerallyverygoodforbreastcancerandiscontinuingtoimprove. AboutCancergenerouslysupportedbyDangoorEducationsince2010. Findaclinicaltrial SearchourclinicaltrialsdatabaseforallcancertrialsandstudiesrecruitingintheUK CancerChatforum Talktootherpeopleaffectedbycancer Nursehelpline08088004040 Questionsaboutcancer?Callfreephone9to5MondaytoFridayoremailus