There are many different types of breast tumors. Some tumors may be cancerous and others will not be. It is important to know the different types of tumors to know whether your breast tumor is something to be worried about.

The benign breast tumor

This is one of the most common forms of growths that you may develop and will develop for a variety of reasons. Some women will develop them from infections and others will just find that they develop for hormonal changes. While these are not dangerous, they are something that you should keep an eye on. A benign tumor should not grow in any way.

Breast TumorYou will need to see your doctor about any lump that you find on your breasts. This will help to rule out any chance of it being cancerous. Your doctor may decide that the lump should be removed from your body to help prevent any other problems.

Non-invasive cancer

When you do find out that a breast tumor is cancerous, there are different types of them. The first is non-invasive and means that the cells have grown abnormally but are still in the area where they started at.

This means that the cancer has not passed around the body and usually means that you have caught it early enough. The good news is that this is the type of tumor that can be removed and you will be able to make a full recovery from – usually finding that the cancer goes into remission fairly quickly.

One of the most common types of non-invasive tumors is the Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, shortened to DCIS. This is usually referred to the cancer being in stage 0, which is the earliest stage and means that it is easier to remove and make a full recovery from. “In Situ” means that it is in place and has not spread anywhere.

Invasive cancer

There are times when the breast tumor will have spread around the body. It will start off by spreading around the breast tissue and into different ducts and will eventually pass to other parts of the body. This means that the cancer is invasive. Unfortunately, it can mean that it is difficult to remove and get all of it.

There are more risks of the cancer getting into the lymph nodes, which will spread it to other parts of the body. There are some rare types of invasive breast tumors, including inflammatory breast cancer, Paget’s disease and Tubular Carcinoma.

The size and spread

A doctor will not just worry about the type of tumor that you have; he will also look into the size and the spread of it. This breaks down to the size – whether it is big or small – and the shape and where the cancer is placed on the breast.

If the tumor is small, it is usually much easier to remove and it means there is more chance of survival. The spread will determine whether it is local, regional and distant. Local is when the cancer is just in the breast. Regional is when it has spread slightly to lymph nodes. Distant is when it has passed to other parts of the body, such as the organs or the bone.