Breast Cancer Types, Stages and Receptors

Did you know that the most common type of breast cancer is Invasive cancer. Between 70-80% of diagnosis’s are this type.

Types of Breast Cancer

  • Invasive breast cancer is the most common type of breast cancer. Most invasive breast cancers have no special features and are classed as No Special Type (NST).

  • Invasive lobular breast cancer is the second most common type of breast cancer. It's also known as invasive lobular carcinoma.

  • Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is an early breast cancer. It means that some of the cells lining the breast ducts have started to turn into cancer cells. Find out about the symptoms, how common it is, treatment and research into DCIS.

  • LCIS isn't cancer. LCIS means that some cells lining the lobules of the breast tissue have started to become abnormal.

  • Triple negative breast cancer is a type of breast cancer. It means that the breast cancer cells don’t have receptors for the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, and a protein called HER2. 

  • This is a rare type of breast cancer. The breast might look swollen and red (inflamed) and may feel warm.

  • Breast cancer in men is rare. Find out how it is diagnosed and treated and where to get help and support.

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  • There are some rare types of breast cancer. Some of these include medullary, metaplastic, and mucinous breast cancers. Find out about some of these rarer types and how they are treated. Find out more here.

For more information visit Cancer Research UK

Source: cancerresearchuk.org

Stages of Breast Cancer

  • Stage 1 breast cancer means that the cancer is small and only in the breast tissue, or it might be found in lymph nodes close to the breast. 

    More information here

  • Stage 2 breast cancer means that the cancer is either in the breast or in the nearby lymph nodes or both. It is an early stage breast cancer.

    More information here

  • Stage 3 means that the cancer has spread from the breast to the lymph nodes close to the breast, the skin of the breast or to the chest wall.

    More information here

  • Stage 4 breast cancer means that the cancer has spread to other parts of the body such as the bones and lungs.

    Find more information here

For more information visit Cancer Research UK

Source: cancerresearchuk.org

Hormone Receptors Explained

As part of your diagnosis, your doctor will chat to you about hormone receptors. Hormone receptors play a crucial role in the context of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. In simple terms, hormone receptors are proteins found on the surface of some breast cells. They interact with hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which can promote the growth of breast cancer cells in hormone-receptor-positive cancers.

When a breast cancer diagnosis is made, one of the key tests performed is to check whether the cancer cells have either of these hormone receptors:

  1. Estrogen Receptor (ER): If the cancer cells have ER, the cancer may grow in response to estrogen. This is called estrogen receptor-positive (ER+).

  2. Progesterone Receptor (PR): Similarly, if the cancer cells have PR, they may respond to progesterone, making them progesterone receptor-positive (PR+).

Knowing the status of these receptors helps doctors tailor the treatment plan.

Source: Find out more here Cancer Research UK