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Types of Breast Cancer

SURVIVORS NOT PATIENTS

The story of breast cancer in Indian women is a story of hope and triumph. A story driven by rapid therapy developments, caregiver support, and of course, the indomitable spirit of India women. No wonder then, that India’s 5-year cancer survival rate stands at 66.1%.1 
 
 
 Indian women not just patients; they are survivors. You are one of them. Keep up the fight.

‘SURVIVORS’, NOT ‘PATIENTS’

Knowing you have breast cancer is life-altering. It is natural to have all sorts of questions and doubts, most of them about your future and that of your family. But with the right information, you can understand what you are up against, get the right treatment, and plan a course that leads to a life of positivity

DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU (DCIS)

<ul class="tpt-lsts">
<li class="tpt-ls">Non-invasive type</li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Abnormal cells found in milk ducts, not spread outside the ducts</li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Very early type, highly treatable</li>
 <li class="tpt-ls">May spread to other areas if not detected or treated in time</li>
</ul>

INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA (IDC)

<ul class="tpt-lsts">
<li class="tpt-ls">Invasive type </li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Abnormal cells formed in milk ducts have spread to breast tissue and other parts of body</li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Most common type, makes up almost 70-80% of diagnoses </li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Most commonly affects men, too</li>
 </ul>

LOBULAR CARCINOMA IN SITU (LCIS)

<ul class="tpt-lsts">
<li class="tpt-ls">Not a breast cancer type </li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Abnormal cells found in breast lobules that have not spread</li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Highly treatable, rarely becomes invasive</li>
 </ul>
<style>.tpt-ls {line-height: 22px;}</style>

INVASIVE LOBULAR CANCER (ILC)

<ul class="tpt-lsts">
<li class="tpt-ls">Invasive type </li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Begins in milk glands and spreads to surrounding breast tissues</li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Can spread through blood and lymph systems</li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Second most common type</li>
 </ul>

INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER (IBC)

<ul class="tpt-lsts">
<li class="tpt-ls">Rare, aggressive type </li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Accounts for 1-5% of all cases</li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Harder to diagnose, occurs more in younger women </li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Spreads quickly than other types</li>
 </ul>

TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER

<ul class="tpt-lsts">
<li class="tpt-ls">Tumour cells lack necessary receptors (estrogen, progesterone, HER2/neu gene) for common treatments, making drugs and therapy ineffective</li>
<li class="tpt-ls">More aggressive and difficult to treat </li>
<li class="tpt-ls">Most likely to spread and recur</li>
 </ul>

TYPES OF BREAST CANCER

Not all breast cancers are the same.Understanding what type of breast cancer you have, and how different it is from other types helps doctors to treat it more specifically.

UNDERSTAND YOUR DIAGNOSIS. PLAN FOR POSITIVITY.

Main Subtype

 HR means Hormone Receptor. HR+ means the tumour cells have receptors for hormones like estrogen or progesterone.  HER2 stands for Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2. HER2+ means the breast tissue overexpress (has extra) HER2 receptors which make them more responsive to growth factors like HER2 protein ultimately leading to uncontrolled growth and proliferation of the tumor cells, associated with highly aggressive types of breast cancer.

 Among Indian patients, the distribution of these subtypes is as below:

In addition, breast cancer has four main subtypes.In order of prevalence, they are:

Breast cancer Genetic

Breast cancer can also be genetic in nature. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the most commonly affected genes in hereditary breast cancer. Normally, these genes protect you from certain cancers. But some mutations in these genes don’t allow them to work properly. In case you inherit one of these mutations, you have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. If your family has a history of breast cancer, it is likely that you carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Knowing the kind of cancer helps you understand your diagnosis. Also, it helps doctors begin the right kind of treatment so that it is controlled in time. Moreover, it also gives you and your family adequate time to prepare.