Did you know that there are at least 15 different types of breast cancer? And that you can have multiple types at the same time. Below are a few of the different types and the rarity (percentages) according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC)
IDC accounts for 80 percent of breast cancers. Invasive ductal carcinoma begins in the milk duct but has spread outside the duct into other tissues.
Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)
DCIS is cancer that began in the milk ducts and has not yet spread. DCIS is usually easy to treat, but it can lead to invasive ductal carcinoma later in life if not treated.
Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC)
ILC accounts for about 10 percent of invasive breast cancers. ILC begins in the lobule of the breast, but it has spread beyond the cells of the lobe into other tissues. This is often called a sneaky cancer because it is so hard to detect.
Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS)
LCIS is a collection of abnormal cells that forms in the milk-producing cells of the breast. Although the term “carcinoma” implies cancer, the cells in LCIS are not yet cancerous, but they can indicate a higher risk for developing invasive breast cancer later on. LCIS is fairly rare and mostly occurs in women who have not yet entered menopause.
Paget's Disease of the Breast
Also known as Paget’s disease of the nipple, this condition causes an eczema-like appearance to the nipple and areola (the skin surrounding the nipple), which may become red, scaly, and itchy. Nearly all women who develop Paget’s disease of the nipple also have cancer deeper in the breast tissues. Paget’s disease makes up less than 5 percent of breast cancers.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)
IBC is a rare form of breast cancer, accounting for only about 1 percent of cases. Inflammatory breast cancer causes the entire breast to swell and redden or darken, and symptoms become more serious quickly, sometimes within hours. IBC grows and spreads aggressively. IBC is more common in Black women than white women.
There are also different subtypes based on the characteristics of the tumors. Understanding the different subtypes helps to determine the correct treatment plan.
Hormone and HER2 receptor status
The four main subtypes are:
Luminal A
Luminal B
HER2-enriched
Triple-negative/Basal-like
Typically, patients learn whether their breast cancer is being fueled by estrogen, progesterone, or HER2 receptors—or none of these.
HR-positive breast cancer
This is mine, I was diagnosed estrogen receptor (ER) positive, and progesterone receptor (PR) positive - this is also called hormone receptor positive breast cancer. It is the most common form of invasive breast cancer and has the best outcome when diagnosed early. It is usually treated with hormone suppression.
HER2-positive breast cancer
The mutations in the HER2 gene cause an overproduction of HER2 protein, which drives excessive growth of breast cancer cells. HER2-positive breast cancer tends to be aggressive.
Triple-negative breast cancer
Triple negative breast cancer means it is negative for the three main receptors (estrogen, progesterone and HER2. TNBC accounts for approximately 15 percent of diagnoses. Lauren was IDC Triple Negative.