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Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)
Patient Version   Health Professional Version   En español   Last Modified: 09/25/2008



Purpose of This PDQ Summary






General Information About Breast Cancer






Cellular Classification of Breast Cancer






Stage Information for Breast Cancer






Ductal Carcinoma In Situ






Lobular Carcinoma In Situ






Stage I, II, IIIA, and Operable IIIC Breast Cancer






Stage IIIB, Inoperable IIIC, IV, Recurrent, and Metastatic Breast Cancer






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Changes to This Summary (09/25/2008)






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Cellular Classification of Breast Cancer

The following is a list of breast cancer histologic classifications.[1] Infiltrating or invasive ductal cancer is the most common breast cancer histologic type and comprises 70% to 80% of all cases.

  • Carcinoma, NOS (not otherwise specified).


  • Ductal.
    • Intraductal (in situ).
    • Invasive with predominant intraductal component.
    • Invasive, NOS.
    • Comedo.
    • Inflammatory.
    • Medullary with lymphocytic infiltrate.
    • Mucinous (colloid).
    • Papillary.
    • Scirrhous.
    • Tubular.
    • Other.


  • Lobular.
    • In situ.
    • Invasive with predominant in situ component.
    • Invasive.[2]


  • Nipple.
    • Paget disease, NOS.
    • Paget disease with intraductal carcinoma.
    • Paget disease with invasive ductal carcinoma.


  • Other.
    • Undifferentiated carcinoma.


The following are tumor subtypes that occur in the breast but are not considered to be typical breast cancers:

  • Phyllodes tumor.[3,4]
  • Angiosarcoma.
  • Primary lymphoma.

References

  1. Breast. In: American Joint Committee on Cancer.: AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. 6th ed. New York, NY: Springer, 2002, pp 171-180. 

  2. Yeatman TJ, Cantor AB, Smith TJ, et al.: Tumor biology of infiltrating lobular carcinoma. Implications for management. Ann Surg 222 (4): 549-59; discussion 559-61, 1995.  [PUBMED Abstract]

  3. Chaney AW, Pollack A, McNeese MD, et al.: Primary treatment of cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast. Cancer 89 (7): 1502-11, 2000.  [PUBMED Abstract]

  4. Carter BA, Page DL: Phyllodes tumor of the breast: local recurrence versus metastatic capacity. Hum Pathol 35 (9): 1051-2, 2004.  [PUBMED Abstract]

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