Types of breast cancer

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Types of breast cancer

From the outside, the female breast appears to be a simple structure intended to fill with milk and release it for a baby when needed. Inside, however, the anatomy of the breast is quite intricate (see Figure 1). Several types of breast cancer can affect the structures and tissues of the breast. The aggressiveness of the cancer and the likelihood that the cancerous cells will spread to other parts of the body depend on the type of cancer involved.

Figure 1: Inside the breast

The breast is composed primarily of fat and breast tissues and also has nerves, arteries, veins, and lymphatic vessels that carry lymph fluid to the lymph nodes. The lobules are milk-producing glands and the ducts carry the milk from the lobules to the nipples during breast-feeding. Breast cancer usually starts inside the gland and in time it may break through the gland wall and spread to other parts of the body through the lymph channels or blood vessels.

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Last updated:	April 23, 2007

Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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