What type of breast cancer do I have?

There are several different types of breast cancer.

Most types of breast cancer are invasive, which means they can spread to other parts of the body. If you have invasive breast cancer it doesn’t mean the cancer has or will spread, just that it has the potential to spread.

When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body it’s called secondary, advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer and is sometimes called ‘no special type’ (NST) or ‘not otherwise specified’ (NOS). The second most common type of breast cancer is invasive lobular carcinoma.

There are several other rare sub types of breast cancer. These sub types have patterns of cells that make them different from each other, and include tubular, adenoid cystic (also known as cribriform), mucinous (also known as colloid), medullary, papillary, micropapillary, inflammatory, metaplastic and Paget’s disease.

Some breast cancers have not spread outside the walls of the ducts when they are found. This is called non-invasive or in situ breast cancer. If you’re told you have ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) it means you have a cancer that has not yet spread into the breast tissue around the ducts.

Treatment options

Different treatments will be recommended depending on what type of breast cancer you have. Ask your doctor or breast care nurse if you want to know why you have been advised to have a particular type of treatment.