There are several types of breast cancer, and different kinds have affected these celebrities. The type and the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed determine the prognosis. The most frequently occurring types, as outlined by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, are ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive ductal carcinoma, and invasive lobular carcinoma.
Ductal carcinoma, the most common form of breast cancer, begins in the cells of the milk ducts in the breast. When abnormal cells are found in the lining of the ducts but haven’t yet spread, it’s called ductal carcinoma in situ, which is a noninvasive or preinvasive cancer. When the abnormal cells break through the walls of the duct and spread to surrounding tissue, the cancer is called invasive or infiltrating breast cancer.
Invasive lobular carcinoma originates in the milk-producing glands (or lobules) of the breast. Like ductal carcinoma, it can metastasize and spread to other parts of the body. There are several other kinds of breast cancer that are more rare, including inflammatory breast cancer, which accounts for 1 to 3 percent of all breast cancer.