Types of
breast cancer

Breast cancer is a malignant tumour that forms in the cells of the breast. Over time, the cancerous tumour grows, it may invade surrounding tissue and spread to other areas of the body. Breast cancer usually starts off in the inner lining of milk ducts (ductal carcinoma) or the lobules that supply them with milk (lobular carcinoma). Ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer.

Invasive breast cancer

If breast cancer is invasive, the cancer cells spread from the lobules or ducts and invade nearby tissue. With this type of cancer, the cancerous cells can spread to the lymph nodes, and to other organs, via the bloodstream or the lymphatic system.

Non-invasive breast cancer

This is when the cancer is confined to where it originally developed. This type of breast cancer is often called ‘pre-cancerous’. This means that although the cancerous cells have not spread beyond their place of origin, they may eventually develop into invasive breast cancer.