Several special types of breast cancer

There are several specific types of breast cancer:

1. Lobular carcinoma in situ

Lobular carcinoma in situ is a carcinoma in situ that occurs in the ducts and glandular epithelium of the lobules. It is rare. Clinically, it often occurs between the ages of 36 and 47. It is characterized by easy multiplication and bilaterality. Generally, the cancer focus is small in range and clearly demarcated from the surrounding tissues. Histological characteristics: the lobular structure still exists and becomes larger, and the acinar cells are piled up and arranged irregularly. The cell shape and size are relatively consistent, round, with infected nuclei, and may have nuclear division phases. After a period of time, it can develop into lobular invasive carcinoma. When it is obviously invasive in the late stage, it becomes ordinary breast invasive cancer.

2. Invasive lobular carcinoma

Invasive lobular carcinoma usually develops from lobular carcinoma in situ. Cancer cells break through the basement membrane and infiltrate into the stroma. Therefore, it is common for premenopausal women to have both in situ and invasive lobular carcinoma in the same breast, but it is rare to have only invasive lobular carcinoma.

Microscopic observation: Cancer cells are the same as those in the original lesion, with a consistent small round or oval shape, sometimes spindle-shaped. They are often sparsely and randomly distributed in dense connective tissue, or arranged in a single line. The typical morphology is a benign proliferative gland in the center, with cancer cells arranged in concentric circles around the tube, resembling a "bull's eye" or "target plate". Because the cells are single, they are often arranged in a single line or cord, and the cell body is small, so they are ignored, resulting in missed diagnosis.

3. Simple cancer

Simple carcinoma is a common type of breast cancer. Its characteristic is that the number of parenchymal and interstitial components in the cancer tissue is almost equal, between scirrhous carcinoma and medullary carcinoma. That is, there are more cancer cells than scirrhous carcinoma and fewer than medullary carcinoma. The cancer cells are moderate in number, with large and round nuclei, or irregular round nuclei, slightly darker, a large nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, little cell atypia, and easy to find nuclear division images. Sometimes, when several types of breast cancer are mixed together and it is difficult to distinguish which type is the main one, it can also be diagnosed as simple carcinoma.

4. Sclerosing cancer

Hard cancer is relatively rare. However, it is more common in other types of breast cancer to have hard cancer areas. Its characteristics are: more cancer cells in the stroma and less in the substance, hard texture, small tumor, unclear boundaries. There are yellow-white stripes on the edge, extending outward like crab feet. Because of the hard texture, it is called hard cancer.