Medullary Carcinoma of the Breast

Medullary carcinoma of the breast is a rare subtype of invasive ductal carcinoma (cancer that begins in the milk duct and spreads beyond it), accounting for about 3-5% of all cases of breast cancer. It is called “medullary” carcinoma because the tumor is a soft, fleshy mass that resembles a part of the brain called the medulla.

 Medullary carcinoma can occur at any age, but it usually affects women in their late 40s and early 50s. Medullary carcinoma is more common in women who have a BRCA1 mutation. Studies have shown that medullary carcinoma is also more common in Japan than in the United States.

Medullary carcinoma cells are usually high-grade in their appearance and low-grade in their behavior. In other words, they look like aggressive, highly abnormal cancer cells, but they don’t act like them. Medullary carcinoma doesn’t grow quickly and usually doesn’t spread outside the breast to the lymph nodes. For this reason, it’s typically easier to treat than other types of breast cancer.

Read : Symptoms and Diagnosis of Medullary Carcinoma of the Breast

Tubular Carcinoma of the Breast

Tubular carcinoma of the breast is a subtype of invasive ductal carcinoma (cancer that begins inside the breast's milk duct and spreads beyond it into healthy tissue). Tubular carcinomas are usually small (about 1 cm or less) and made up of tube-shaped structures called "tubules." These tumors tend to be low-grade, meaning that their cells look somewhat similar to normal, healthy cells and tend to grow slowly.

At one time, tubular carcinomas accounted for about 1-4% of all breast cancers. Now that screening mammography is widely used, however, tubular carcinomas are being diagnosed more frequently — often before you or your doctor would be able to feel a lump. Exact numbers aren't available, but studies suggest that tubular carcinomas may account for anywhere from just under 8% to 27% of all breast cancers.

Studies also suggest that the average age of diagnosis for tubular carcinoma is the early 50s, although women can be diagnosed with it at any age. This type of cancer is rare in men.

Even though tubular carcinoma is an invasive breast cancer, it tends to be a less aggressive type that responds well to treatment. It isn't likely to spread outside the breast and is considered to have a very good prognosis.

IDC — Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), sometimes called infiltrating ductal carcinoma, is the most common type of breast cancer. About 80% of all breast cancers are invasive ductal carcinomas.

Invasive means that the cancer has “invaded” or spread to the surrounding breast tissues. Ductal means that the cancer began in the milk ducts, which are the “pipes” that carry milk from the milk-producing lobules to the nipple. Carcinoma refers to any cancer that begins in the skin or other tissues that cover internal organs — such as breast tissue. All together, “invasive ductal carcinoma” refers to cancer that has broken through the wall of the milk duct and begun to invade the tissues of the breast. Over time, invasive ductal carcinoma can spread to the lymph nodes and possibly to other areas of the body.

Normal breast with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) in an enlarged cross-section of the duct
Breast profile:
A Ducts
B Lobules
C Dilated section of duct to hold milk
D Nipple
E Fat
F Pectoralis major muscle
G Chest wall/rib cage
Enlargement
A Normal duct cell
B Ductal cancer cells breaking through the basement membrane.
C Basement membrane



According to the American Cancer Society, more than 180,000 women in the United States find out they have invasive breast cancer each year. Most of them are diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma.

Although invasive ductal carcinoma can affect women at any age, it is more common as women grow older. According to the American Cancer Society, about two-thirds of women are 55 or older when they are diagnosed with an invasive breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma also affects men.

DCIS — Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. Ductal means that the cancer starts inside the milk ducts, carcinoma refers to any cancer that begins in the skin or other tissues (including breast tissue) that cover or line the internal organs, and in situ means "in its original place." DCIS is called "non-invasive" because it hasn’t spread beyond the milk duct into any normal surrounding breast tissue. DCIS isn’t life-threatening, but having DCIS can increase the risk of developing an invasive breast cancer later on.

When you have had DCIS, you are at higher risk for the cancer coming back or for developing a new breast cancer than a person who has never had breast cancer before. Most recurrences happen within the 5 to 10 years after initial diagnosis. The chances of a recurrence are under 30%.

Women who have breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) for DCIS without radiation therapy have about a 25% to 30% chance of having a recurrence at some point in the future. Including radiation therapy in the treatment plan after surgery drops the risk of recurrence to about 15%. Learn what additional steps you can take to lower your risk of a new breast cancer diagnosis or a recurrence in the Lower Your Risk section. If breast cancer does come back after earlier DCIS treatment, the recurrence is non-invasive (DCIS again) about half the time and invasive about half the time. (DCIS itself is NOT invasive.)

According to the American Cancer Society, about 60,000 cases of DCIS are diagnosed in the United States each year, accounting for about 1 out of every 5 new breast cancer cases.

There are two main reasons this number is so large and has been increasing over time:

People are living much longer lives. As we grow older, our risk of breast cancer increases.
More people are getting mammograms, and the quality of the mammograms has improved. With better screening, more cancers are being spotted early.
On the following pages you can learn about:

Types of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer can begin in different areas of the breast — the ducts, the lobules, or in some cases, the tissue in between. In this section, you can learn about the different types of breast cancer, including non-invasive, invasive, recurrent, and metastatic breast cancers, as well as the intrinsic or molecular subtypes of breast cancer. You can also read about breast cancer in men.

• DCIS — Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
• IDC — Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
• IDC Type: Tubular Carcinoma of the Breast
• IDC Type: Medullary Carcinoma of the Breast
• IDC Type: Mucinous Carcinoma of the Breast
• IDC Type: Papillary Carcinoma of the Breast
• IDC Type: Cribriform Carcinoma of the Breast
• ILC — Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
• Inflammatory Breast Cancer
• LCIS — Lobular Carcinoma In Situ
• Male Breast Cancer
• Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer
• Paget's Disease of the Nipple
• Phyllodes Tumors of the Breast
• Recurrent & Metastatic Breast Cancer