Types of breast cancer

There are several types of breast cancer. There are also lots of different words to talk about breast cancer. Here are some of the main ones.

Ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, and lobular carcinoma in situ, or LCIS, are conditions that are not really cancer, but sometimes they can turn into cancer. So if you have DCIS or LCIS, your doctors will want to see you regularly to check how it is going.

Early breast cancer means cancer that is in the breast. It might or might not have gone to the lymph nodes under your arms. If you have early breast cancer, it means there is no sign that it has spread anywhere else in your body.

Locally advanced breast cancer is a cancer that is very big or spread to the nearby areas such as the skin, muscles, ribs or a large number of lymph nodes.

When breast cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body (such as the lungs, the bones or the liver) it is known as advanced cancer or metastatic cancer.

With all types of breast cancer, there is plenty of treatment and support that can help you.