What are the types of breast cancer?

There are lots of different types of breast cancer. Breast cancer can be described as non-invasive or invasive.

Non-invasive breast cancer

The main non-invasive breast cancer is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS is the earliest stage of breast cancer. With DCIS, the cancer cells have formed inside the milk ducts, but have not spread outside them. Non-invasive cancer can develop into invasive cancer if it is not treated.

Invasive breast cancer

Invasive breast cancer means the cancer cells have moved beyond the lining of the milk ducts and invaded the surrounding breast tissue.

Invasive breast cancer can spread outside the breast to the lymph nodes and to other parts of the body.

Most breast cancers are invasive.

Types of invasive breast cancers

Invasive ductal breast cancer (ductal carcinoma)

This is the most common type of breast cancer (about 8 out of 10 invasive breast cancers are this type). It starts in the milk ducts in your breast, but then invades the surrounding tissue of the breast.

It is usually treated with surgery, often followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Read more about how breast cancer is treated.

The best treatment plan for you will also depend on if your cancer is helped to grow by hormones (ER+ breast cancer) or particular proteins (HER2+ breast cancer).

Oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positive cancers are encouraged to grow by the female hormones oestrogen or progesterone. Read more about ER positive breast cancer.
HER2 positive breast cancer means that the tumour produces too much of a protein called HER2, which helps breast cancer to grow. Read more about HER2+ breast cancer.
Triple negative breast cancer doesn’t have receptors for HER2, oestrogen or progesterone. More about triple negative breast cancer.

Other types of invasive breast cancer:

Rarer types of invasive breast cancer:

Medullary breast cancer, mucinous breast cancer, tubular breast cancer and malignant phyllodes tumours are rare types of breast cancer.

To find out which type of breast cancer you have, a doctor called a pathologist will look at a sample of your breast tissue (biopsy) under a microscope.

Non-invasive breast cancers

This is breast cancer in the milk ducts or lobules, which hasn’t developed the ability to spread to tissue outside the breast. Non-invasive cancer can develop into invasive cancer.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

The most common non-invasive breast cancer is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS is an early form of breast cancer. Most people have no symptoms at all and are usually diagnosed from a mammogram (breast X-ray). Find out more about DCIS.

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)

LCIS is also called lobular neoplasia. It isn’t cancer but looks like cancer cells growing in the milk-producing glands of the breast.

Having LCIS means you have an increased risk of developing breast cancer in the future. Most women with LCIS will not develop breast cancer but they will have regular monitoring because of their increased risk. Find out more about LCIS.

Hormone and protein receptors

Breast cancer can sometimes be described by the types of hormones or protein receptors on the surface of the cancer cells.

For example:

Oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positive cancers are encouraged to grow by the female hormones oestrogen or progesterone. Read more about ER positive breast cancer.
HR2 positive breast cancer means that the tumour produces too much of a protein called HER2, which helps breast cancer to grow. Read more about HER2+ breast cancer.
Triple negative breast cancer doesn’t have receptors for HER2, oestrogen or progesterone. More about triple negative breast cancer.