Lobular Breast Cancer
Understanding Lobular Breast Cancer
Invasive lobular breast cancer is the name given to a form of breast cancer that originates in the cells that line the breasts’ lobes or lobules. This refers to the milk-producing glands of the breasts and this cancer is also called invasive lobular carcinoma or ILC. Women in the age group of 45 to 55 seem to be most likely to experience lobular breast cancer although technically women of all ages are vulnerable to it. There are also rare instances where men can get invasive lobular breast cancer. About 15 to 20 percent of all cases of breast cancer are said to be invasive lobular breast cancer.
This kind of cancer is not always manifested as a lump as is the case with ductal carcinoma. So, invasive lobular breast cancer does not always appear in mammograms and for that reason it is sometimes harder to diagnose. This delay in diagnosis often means that lobular breast cancer is often larger when discovered than other types of breast cancer at the time of discovery. Women often report a thickening of breast tissue rather than feeling a lump in the breast.
If you see signs of a thickening in a section of your breast, unexpected sensation of swelling or fullness, changes in the skin of your breast such as thickening, dimpling or modified texture or sense a retracting of the nipple, you should immediately talk to a doctor. Because of the difficulties in catching the ILC in a mammogram, the doctor may request a breast ultrasound and even a breast MRI, which will give the doctor an idea of the size and location of the mass of cancer cells. A breast biopsy will be the best way for finding out the details of the mass and as it will allow a pathologist to examine the tissue from the affected area. This will help arrive at a conclusive diagnosis. Invasive lobular breast cancer has four stages and the biopsy will help the doctors determine the exact extent of the cancer cell’s growth.
The recommended course of treatment for invasive lobular breast cancer is similar to the treatment suggested for ductal breast cancer. Surgery is a primary option to remove the cancerous cells and this is often followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There is also the possibility of biological therapy along with an amalgam of other treatments. If the breast cancer cells are seen as estrogen receptor positive, the patient may also be advised to undergo hormone therapy post-surgery.
There is a possibility that invasive lobular breast cancer may sometimes have spread to more that one section of the breast. This will make it harder, or even impossible, to remove the affected cells. In such cases, the patient may be recommended to have a mastectomy. It is likely that a breast surgeon will give the patient the option of choosing between mastectomy, lumpectomy and radiotherapy. Lumpectomy can be used if the affected area is relative small and contained whereas a mastectomy will be necessary if the cancerous cells have spread throughout the breast.
Lobular breast cancer is said to have the slightly more favorable odds than the more typical ductal breast cancer. More often than not this kind of cancer is found in both breasts at the time of discovery and if it is found only in one there is a slighter higher than normal chance of finding it in the other breast also.
It is worth noting that if you have diagnosed with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) that is a different diagnosis and should not be confused with invasive lobular breast cancer.