Lobular breast cancer

Lobular breast cancer (lobular carcinoma) develops in the lobule in the glandular tissue, i.e. In the part of the breast where breast milk is formed - in lobules. Lobular cancer is detected in about 20% of women with malignant breasts.

A feature of this type of cancer is that several tumors can form in one breast. In addition, cases of bilateral cancer are not uncommon. When the tumor develops in both mammary glands.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

Causes of the lobular breast cancer

To date, the causes of the development of lobular breast cancer have not yet been fully explored, but experts know exactly some of the risk factors:

• heredity
• late delivery (or lack of delivery)
• early menstruation
• age (40-45 years)
• long-term admission of hormones
• irradiation (including radiation therapy)

Lobular breast cancer is extremely difficult to determine, since the disease does not manifest any mammologic symptoms (discharge from the nipples, compaction, etc.).

[6], [7], [8], [9], [10]

Symptoms of the lobular breast cancer

Lobular breast cancer flows without any signs. This type of cancer is almost impossible to detect by traditional means, which are used in mammologic practice (in the mammary glands are not palpated seals, there are no secretions from the nipples).

In the absence of treatment, lobular carcinoma gradually passes into an invasive form (extends to adjacent tissues), in which a compaction appears on the mammary gland.

Forms

Infiltrating lobular breast cancer

Infiltrating lobular breast cancer has recently been diagnosed more often. Infiltrating lobular carcinoma occurs in women after fifty years and represents the late stage of lobular cancer.

With infiltrating lobular cancer, the tumor is located around the ducts, and structures (like the target) are formed.

Also there are other forms of formations (solid with small homogeneous cells, alveolar with round lobules, pleomorphic with different types of cells).

5% of all identified types of infiltrating cancer are mixed, more often diagnosed lobular, protocol. When tubular formations and small homogeneous cells are identified, the tubular-lobular form is diagnosed.

Metastasis in the lymph nodes located in the armpits with lobular cancer does not occur as often as during the protocol, however, the metastases can be in the form of small isolated formations that are diagnosed only by immunohistochemical examination.

[11], [12]

Invasive lobular breast cancer

Invasive lobular breast cancer is a rare type of malignant mammary gland. Its main difference from other forms is that in the mammary gland there is a condensation (in other forms of cancer, a lump is felt).

In the early stages of invasive cancer, symptoms are almost absent. There are only a few signs that should alert a woman: densification in the mammary gland that does not pass for a long time, the appearance on the breast of peeling, wrinkles, discharge from the nipples, the pallor of a separate patch of skin on the chest. When one or more symptoms appear, you need to contact a mammologist to find out the cause.

Diagnostics of the lobular breast cancer

Lobular breast cancer is quite difficult to diagnose. Often used for diagnosis of neoplasms of the mammary gland method is mammography, however, with lobular cancer such a method is ineffective. It is impossible to identify lobular carcass and when palpation or on a routine examination with a mammologist.

In modern blades that work on new technologies, when suspected of lobular cancer, biopsies are assigned followed by laboratory testing, mammography (to exclude other pathologies in the chest), computer and magnetic resonance imaging, blood testing for the presence of tumor markers, testing of female receptors hormones of estrogens (lobular breast cancer is hormone-dependent).

[13], [14], [15], [16], [17]

Treatment of the lobular breast cancer

Lobular breast cancer is currently treated in several ways, which differ significantly from each other not only in effectiveness but also in the scope of interventions.

Excisional biopsy - removal of the tumor with adjacent tissue (under local anesthesia). After such treatment, the patient needs to undergo an annual check-up and a doctor and, if necessary, do a repeated biopsy (once a year, compulsory computed tomography).

Hormonal treatment - lobular cancer is an estrogen-dependent tumor. Treatment with tamoxefine is quite effective, in addition, the risk of cancer transplantation into an invasive form is reduced. Treatment with hormones is prescribed in combination with excisional biopsy.

Bilateral preventive total mastectomy - removal of the breast to prevent invasive forms. Most surgeons consider this type of surgery to be inappropriate, but if a woman is at risk and agrees to be removed, doctors will perform a mastectomy.

Prevention

Prevention of cancers in the mammary glands is primarily in the annual survey of a mammologist, mammography (after 40 years once in two years, a field of fifty years - once a year, women at risk - once a year from an early age), timely getting rid of precancerous seals.

Lobular breast cancer can develop in a nulliparous woman, or if the labor was late, and after numerous abortions. The optimal age for the birth of a child is the age of a woman under 30.

[18], [19],

Forecast

Lobular breast cancer is usually detected in the late stages of the disease, when the cancer process passed into an invasive form. In this case, the prognosis depends on the age, the rate of tumor growth, the presence of metastases in other organs and tissues.

Detection of a cancerous tumor in the early stages provides a high efficiency of treatment.

Lobular breast cancer is considered a malignant disease. As a rule, with this form of cancer, it is impossible to feel the compaction in the mammary gland, it is also extremely difficult to examine the tumor with the help of a mammogram, which makes it difficult to diagnose in time. The lack of treatment increases the risk of invasive cancer, a malignant disease that is diagnosed every year in approximately 2% of patients with lobular breast cancer.

[20], [21], [22], [23], [24]