Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Breast Cancer
Number of Conditions: 7
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Breast Cancer
Symptoms:
typically asymptomatic, but may include a lump, nipple discharge, or calcifications detected on a mammogram
Root Cause:
Non-invasive cancer where abnormal cells are contained within the milk ducts of the breast and have not spread to surrounding tissues.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Mammogram (often showing microcalcifications), core needle biopsy, and sometimes breast MRI.
Treatment:
Surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy), often followed by radiation therapy; hormonal therapy in hormone receptor-positive cases.
Medications:
Hormonal therapy, such as tamoxifen (a selective estrogen receptor modulator) or aromatase inhibitors, to reduce recurrence risk in hormone receptor-positive cases.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Accounts for about 20% of newly diagnosed breast cancers; more common in postmenopausal women.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history of breast cancer, prior chest radiation, hormone replacement therapy, obesity, older age, early menarche, and late menopause.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with timely diagnosis and treatment; nearly 100% survival rate if treated before progression to invasive cancer.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Potential progression to invasive ductal carcinoma, treatment-related side effects (e.g., from surgery or radiation).
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC)
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Breast Cancer
Symptoms:
palpable breast lump; changes in breast size or shape; nipple retraction; nipple discharge; skin dimpling (peau d'orange)
Root Cause:
Malignant cells that begin in the milk ducts and invade surrounding breast tissue, with potential to metastasize.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical breast exam, imaging (mammogram, ultrasound, MRI), and biopsy (core needle or excisional).
Treatment:
Surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy), radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and targeted therapies depending on receptor status (e.g., HER2 or hormone receptors).
Medications:
Hormonal therapy - tamoxifen , aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole , letrozole , exemestane ). Targeted therapy - trastuzumab , pertuzumab (HER2-positive cases). Chemotherapy - anthracyclines (doxorubicin ), taxanes (paclitaxel , docetaxel ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
The most common type of breast cancer, accounting for 70–80% of cases.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history, genetic mutations (e.g., BRCA1/BRCA2), prolonged estrogen exposure, alcohol use, obesity, older age.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable based on stage and receptor status; generally excellent in early-stage cases.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Metastasis (lymph nodes, bone, lungs, liver), lymphedema, treatment-related effects (fatigue, hair loss, cardiac toxicity from trastuzumab).
Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC)
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Breast Cancer
Symptoms:
subtle thickening or hardening in the breast; asymmetry of breasts; nipple inversion; changes in breast texture; may not form a distinct lump
Root Cause:
Cancer originates in the milk-producing lobules and invades surrounding breast tissue; potential for metastasis.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Mammogram, ultrasound, MRI, biopsy; imaging may be less sensitive compared to IDC.
Treatment:
Surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy), radiation therapy, hormonal therapy for hormone receptor-positive cases, and chemotherapy if needed.
Medications:
Hormonal therapy
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Accounts for 10–15% of invasive breast cancers.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Similar to IDC
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Generally favorable in early stages; slightly higher risk of bilateral breast cancer compared to IDC.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Metastasis to unusual sites (e.g., gastrointestinal tract), treatment-related side effects.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Breast Cancer
Symptoms:
breast lump; breast swelling; breast pain; skin changes; nipple discharge; symptoms may progress quickly
Root Cause:
Lacks estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors, making it more aggressive and less responsive to hormonal or HER2-targeted therapies.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging (mammogram, ultrasound, MRI), biopsy with immunohistochemistry to confirm receptor status.
Treatment:
Chemotherapy (often anthracycline- or taxane-based), surgery, radiation therapy; emerging targeted therapies like PARP inhibitors (e.g., olaparib).
Medications:
Chemotherapy (paclitaxel , carboplatin ), immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., atezolizumab ), PARP inhibitors.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
10–20% of breast cancers; more common in younger women and African-American women.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
BRCA1 mutation, obesity, younger age, family history, higher prevalence among certain ethnic groups.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Poorer prognosis compared to hormone receptor-positive cancers; higher risk of recurrence within 3–5 years.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Early metastasis, resistance to chemotherapy, higher mortality rates.
HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Breast Cancer
Symptoms:
breast lump; breast swelling; nipple discharge; skin changes; nipple inversion
Root Cause:
Overexpression of the HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) protein promotes aggressive cancer cell growth.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect HER2 protein overexpression or gene amplification, alongside imaging and biopsy.
Treatment:
Targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy.
Medications:
Targeted therapy - trastuzumab (HER2 monoclonal antibody), pertuzumab , trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1). Chemotherapy - docetaxel , paclitaxel , carboplatin . Tyrosine kinase inhibitors - lapatinib , neratinib .
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
15–20% of breast cancers.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history, genetic mutations, obesity, alcohol use, postmenopausal hormone therapy.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Improved dramatically with targeted therapies; prognosis depends on stage but generally better than untreated cases.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Risk of metastasis (brain, liver, lungs), cardiac toxicity from HER2-targeted treatments.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Breast Cancer
Symptoms:
rapid onset of breast swelling; breast redness; breast warmth; breast pain; skin thickening (peau d'orange); inverted nipple; often mistaken for infection
Root Cause:
Aggressive cancer infiltrating lymphatic vessels of the breast skin, leading to characteristic inflammation.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, imaging (mammogram, ultrasound, MRI), biopsy of breast tissue and skin, and lymph node assessment.
Treatment:
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by surgery (mastectomy) and radiation therapy. Targeted therapy may be added if HER2-positive or hormone receptor-positive.
Medications:
Chemotherapy - anthracyclines (doxorubicin ), taxanes (paclitaxel , docetaxel ). HER2-targeted therapy - trastuzumab , pertuzumab (if HER2-positive). Hormonal therapy - tamoxifen , aromatase inhibitors (if hormone receptor-positive).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, accounting for 1–5% of breast cancers.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Younger age, African-American ethnicity, obesity, late-stage diagnosis.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Poor compared to other breast cancers due to aggressive nature and high risk of metastasis; 5-year survival rate is lower than other subtypes.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Early metastasis, recurrence, lymphedema, treatment-related side effects.
Male Breast Cancer
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Solid Tumors
Sub-category: Breast Cancer
Symptoms:
breast lump; nipple discharge (often bloody); pain; skin changes; nipple inversion
Root Cause:
Malignant growth in breast tissue due to genetic mutations, hormonal imbalances, or environmental factors.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical breast exam, imaging (mammogram, ultrasound), and biopsy. Hormone receptor and HER2 testing are also performed.
Treatment:
Surgery (mastectomy), often followed by radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or targeted therapy depending on receptor status.
Medications:
Hormonal therapy - tamoxifen (most common). Chemotherapy - taxanes (paclitaxel ), anthracyclines (doxorubicin ). Targeted therapy - trastuzumab (HER2-positive cases).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, accounting for less than 1% of all breast cancers; more common in older men.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
BRCA2 mutations, family history, radiation exposure, high estrogen levels (e.g., due to obesity, liver disease, or hormone therapy).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Generally good if detected early; worse outcomes in advanced stages due to lack of awareness and delayed diagnosis.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Late-stage diagnosis, metastasis, treatment-related side effects (e.g., gynecomastia, fatigue).