Breast cancer tumors come in all shapes and sizes. A tumor's physical description can be considered an indicator as to what type of breast cancer a patient has. Being able to discern them from one another can help a doctor give the proper diagnosis and treatment.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer has the highest mortality rate among women than any other cancer except lung cancer. More than 1 in 4 cancer diagnoses among women is breast cancer. According to the Breast Cancer Organization website, an estimated 182,000 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2008. Almost 2,000 cases will be diagnosed for men. Because of these statistics, it is encouraged that women regularly check themselves for signs of breast cancer, namely checking for lumps.
Breast Lumps
Lumps in the breasts are one of three things: cysts, fibroadenomas or pseudolumps. Cysts are small sacs of tissue that are filled with some sort of fluid. They tend to feel squishy and are found closer to the chest wall. Fibroadenomas support other cells in the breasts. They feel round and hard. Fibroadenomas are usually located near the breast surface. Pseudolumps aren't really lumps. They could be masses of scar tissue or a pressing rib bone. They don't change in size and feel hard, depending on what the actual pseudolumps is. Discovering lumps in the breast is not always a sign of breast cancer, yet they should be checked out by a doctor to err on the side of caution.
Medullary Tumors
Medullary tumors indicate medullary breast cancer, which is rare. The tumors are usually surrounded by a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes that look like disks with clear halos around them. The tumor may feel thick and spongy around the breast tissue and cause swelling.
Mucinous Tumors
Mucinous tumors are large amounts of epithelian mucin that reside within tumor cells. The cells and the mucous mass mixed together appear as a gelatinous tumor. They may feel like cysts upon initial examination. These tumors usually do not spread into the lymph nodes.
Phyllodes Tumors
Phyllodes tumors are exclusively found in female breasts, with rare exceptions. They appear leaf-like and large. The breast skin around the tumor can appear to be shiny and clear. Only 10 to 15 percent of Phyllodes tumors that are found are malignant. If they metastasize, malignant phyllodes tumor cells tend to target the lungs.
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