This is one of the common forms of breast cancer developing in the milk ducts that connect to the nipple. There are two types of ductal carcin
oma; the ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
The term carcinoma means ‘cancer’ and in situ refers to ‘the original place’. This is one of the common types of non-invasive cancer of the breast that affects women. The DCIS is the cancerous growth that begins in the lining of the milk glands which has not spread beyond the ducts into the surrounding tissues. DCIS can develop to become invasive affecting and invading other parts of the body. Women with DCIS can develop new breast cancer and most recurrence may develop within a period of 5 to 10 years after the first diagnosis. Women with DCIS may not develop any symptoms although a small number of women may experience the presence of a lump in the breast or discharge from the nipple. The grading of DCIS is always considered to be stage 0 even when the tumour is of any size and occur in any numbers within the breast. The diagnosis of DCIS may involve a physical examination to identify the presence of lumps in the breast and the mammography which can detect the cancer cell as shadows or white specks. Depending on the cases, a biopsy may be required which is the removal of the sample tissue that is examined under the microscope. The treatment can include lumpectomy; the complete removal of the cancerous tissues with clear healthy tissue margin, followed by radiation. Mastectomy is the complete removal of the affected breast in some cases and hormone therapy after surgery help regulate the level of estrogen in the body.
Invasive ductal Carcinoma (IDC)
This is one of the common types of breast cancer which can also affect men. Invasive ductal carcinoma refers to cancer that has spread beyond the milk ducts invading the surrounding breast tissues and has the potential to affect other parts of the body. This type of cancer appears to be common particularly in older women and generally, women are in their 50s when diagnosed with IDC. There may not be any symptoms associated with IDC and may be detected during the screening mammogram. Some of the symptoms and signs associated with IDC includes nipple pain, lump in the underarm, irritating skin, swelling of the breast, abnormal changes of the nipples or the breast skin and discharge from the nipple. The diagnosis is based on the physical examination that seeks for abnormal changes of the breast, mammography which may reveal unusual finger-like projections that are indicative of invasion of cancer to surrounding tissues, breast MRI to assess suspicious areas of the breast and a biopsy of the abnormal tissue to be examined under the microscope. The local treatment for IDC consist of surgery to remove the breast tumour, but if cancer has invaded to other parts of the body, chemotherapy or hormone therapy may be initially necessary to reduce cancer. The systematic treatment can include chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapy to destroy the cancer cells and to reduce the risk of recurrence.