Forms of breast cancer

The effectiveness of treatment, life expectancy and its fullness largely depend on the histological structure of the tumor formation - that is, on the form of breast cancer. The characteristics of the cancerous lesion are the second factor in the successful prognosis of the disease after the degree of neglect of the process and its primacy.

Clinical symptoms of cancer may differ or be the same, but the further development of the disease and its outcome directly depend on the form of cancer.

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Edematous form of breast cancer

The edematous form of breast cancer is one of the varieties of diffuse tumors, which is observed in 2-5% of all cases of breast cancer. The edematous form has an unfavorable prognosis: only 15-50% of patients manage to survive for five years.

There are primary and secondary variants of the edematous form. The disease is characterized by rapid clinical development, when already at the initial stages there is a significant increase in the size and swelling of the affected gland, reddening of the skin and a typical "lemon peel". The temperature rises locally, the breast becomes denser. In the primary variant of the pathology, there is no clear palpable cancerous node, which is clearly expressed in the secondary course.

Once the edematous stage begins in the gland, the cancer becomes aggressive and develops rapidly, producing massive metastases.

The edematous form can manifest itself in different histological types of tumors:

• in infiltrating ductal carcinoma;
• for lobular cancer;
• for medullary cancer;
• for mucous cancer, etc.

Often, predominantly proliferating lymphatic endothelial cells are observed in such a tumor.

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Infiltrative form of breast cancer

The infiltrative form of breast cancer has another name – invasive. This form has several types:

• infiltrative form of ductal carcinoma (the lesion spreads from the milk ducts into the adipose tissue);
• infiltrative form of lobular cancer (the tumor originates from the lobular glandular areas);
• pre-infiltrative form of ductal carcinoma (the process can transform into an invasive form with inadequate treatment).

What are the characteristics of the infiltrative form?

Infiltration extends to a significant part of the mammary gland, while the clear boundaries of the process cannot be traced. Often, the pathology is indicated by an increase in one of the glands, a marbled color of the skin on it, the presence of a characteristic "lemon peel".

As in the previous version, there is a division into primary and secondary subcategories: without a tumor node, and with a palpable clear compaction.

The main signs of the infiltrative form are:

• irregular shape of the gland, its increase in size;
• retraction of the nipple or the skin closest to it;
• the appearance of a fixed node (limited compaction) fused with tissues, up to 10 cm in diameter.

The primary infiltrative form is more common in patients over 40 years of age, while the secondary form can be detected regardless of age category.

Edematous-infiltrative form of breast cancer

The edematous-infiltrative form is a combination of the two previous forms. The true, or primary malignant pathology consists of a diffuse spread of the cancerous process in the tissues of the gland, and the secondary one is the appearance of a clearly palpable nodular formation, accompanied by swelling of the skin.

The edematous-infiltrative form of breast cancer may differ from a local tumor not only in the scale of the lesion, but also in an extremely negative prognosis. This is especially true for the primary type of tumor, since such cancer is usually detected at late stages, when the process already extends beyond the mammary gland.

In most cases, the edematous-infiltrative form of cancer is diagnosed in patients at a young age, sometimes even during pregnancy or breastfeeding. During examination, a compaction is palpated that has no clear boundaries and extends to a significant area of the gland. Tissue edema is pronounced, which is explained by the infringement of lymphatic vessels by small metastases or directly by the tumor itself.

Nodular form of breast cancer

The nodular form of cancerous tumor is more common than other forms. It is characterized by the formation of a seal in the gland in the form of a node of different sizes. The upper outer quadrants of the breast are most often affected.

Typical signs of this form are usually the following:

• the appearance of a palpable dense nodule in the tissues of an organ, without clear boundaries, with limited mobility;
• detection of unexplained wrinkling of the skin, or too smooth skin (like a pad), or retraction of the skin over the affected area;
• palpation of compacted lymph nodes in the axillary area on the side of the affected breast.

Less often, the first sign of a malignant process may be discharge from the milk ducts.

As the malignant process progresses, the clinical picture expands:

• a “lemon peel” appears, a sign of diffuse edema;
• the areola changes, the nipple becomes flat;
• the iron is visually deformed;
• the lymph nodes in the armpit area become enlarged and denser;
• metastases spread, and symptoms corresponding to the affected organs appear.

Erysipelas-like form of breast cancer

Erysipelas-like cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer, which is characterized by rapid spread, lightning-fast progression and unpredictability. This tumor has a special tendency to relapse, quickly and massively spreads metastases, regardless of the methods of treatment used.

The erysipelas-like form of cancerous tumor is manifested by the following clinical signs:

• sudden reddening of the skin on the mammary gland;
• possible spread of redness beyond the affected gland;
• the redness resembles erysipelas (hence the term erysipelas-like form) - a spot with "ragged" jagged borders;
• sometimes the body temperature rises sharply.

Often, such cancer is indeed mistaken for erysipelas and is prescribed incorrect treatment using physiotherapy and anti-inflammatory drugs. In such cases, precious time is lost, and the patient's condition steadily worsens. Therefore, it is very important to correctly conduct differential diagnostics of the disease.

The second name for erysipelas-like cancer is inflammatory breast cancer. This is a fairly rare type of cancer, accounting for no more than 3% of all malignant breast diseases. It is usually detected only after a mammogram or ultrasound examination.

Mastitis-like form of breast cancer

What is mastitis-like breast cancer? And here the name speaks for itself: such a cancerous tumor has all the signs of mastitis, and is often mistaken for an inflammatory process.

The clinical picture of mastitis-like cancer is as follows:

• the affected mammary gland noticeably increases in size;
• when palpated, the density (tightness) of the tissues is felt;
• the skin at the site of the lesion becomes distinctly red;
• local temperature rises;
• an infection sets in, which is even more reminiscent of the signs of mastitis.

The general body temperature also rises: all the signs of an inflammatory process and intoxication of the body are present.

The swelling of the gland then spreads to the upper limb and the peri-clavicular area. In the absence of adequate therapy, ulcers may appear on the skin.

If after 2 weeks of treatment of common mastitis there is no positive dynamics, then mastitis-like cancer can be suspected: for differentiation, it is recommended to conduct additional diagnostic methods, such as X-ray, ultrasound, and histological examination.

Diffuse form of breast cancer

The diffuse form of cancer may include both the edematous form and the inflammatory erysipelas-like and mastitis-like forms. The essence of the disease is defined in its name - from the Latin "diffusum, diffundo" (distributed, vague, without clear boundaries). Such a tumor grows in the form of a diffuse infiltrate that affects the glandular organ in all directions - that is, it does not have a clear direction of the process.

A dense or elastic-dense infiltrate often covers several sectors or a significant part of the mammary gland. Due to the occurrence of a mechanical obstacle in the form of a tumor, the natural outflow of lymph is disrupted, which leads to an increase and significant deformation of the organ. In nearby areas of lymph node accumulation, the spread of metastases is observed.

The diffuse form is acute, with rapid metastasis.

As you have already seen, different forms of breast cancer can have different clinical manifestations. Moreover, the course of the disease largely depends on the hormonal background in the body. For example, at a young age, and especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding, cancer develops quickly, with rapid metastasis. And in old age, the tumor can exist for several years without spreading to other organs.

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