General breast cancer terms

General breast cancer terms

Here are some of the key words used to describe breast cancer.
Carcinoma
This is a term used to describe a cancer that begins in the lining layer (epithelial cells) of
organs like the breast. Nearly all breast cancers are carcinomas (either ductal carcinomas
or lobular carcinomas).
Adenocarcinoma
An adenocarcinoma is a type of carcinoma that starts in glandular tissue (tissue that
makes and secretes a substance). The ducts and lobules of the breast are glandular tissues
(they make breast milk), so cancers starting in these areas are often called
adenocarcinomas.
Carcinoma in situ
This term is used for an early stage of cancer, when it is confined to the layer of cells
where it began. In breast cancer, in situ means that the cancer cells remain confined to
ducts (ductal carcinoma in situ). The cells have not grown into (invaded) deeper tissues in
the breast or spread to other organs in the body. Carcinoma in situ of the breast is
sometimes referred to as non-invasive or pre-invasive breast cancer because it might
develop into an invasive breast cancer if left untreated.