Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) affects the lobules of the breast, which contain the glands that produce breast milk. It is a type of breast cancer, and the outlook can vary depending on multiple factors.
Invasive lobular breast cancer affects the ducts that carry milk through the breast. ILC can develop at any age, but it is more common in older people. Some evidence suggests that using hormonal replacement therapy after menopause may increase the risk.
Diagnosing ILC can be challenging since there may be less noticeable symptoms.
The outlook after a cancer diagnosis depends on several factors, including:
- the size of the cancer
- whether the cancer has spread and where it has spread to
- a person’s age
- a person’s general state of health
- the effectiveness of the treatment
- the cancer grade, which measures how abnormal the cells appear at a microscopic level
- the results of certain markers, including estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2/neu
The outlook also varies depending on the stage of the cancer. A lower number means the cancer is in an earlier stage, while a higher number means the cancer has advanced.
Survival rate
A survival rate can show how many people with the same type and stage of cancer are still living 5 or more years after receiving the diagnosis.
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These statistics do not take age or overall health into consideration.
In general, if doctors diagnose and treat cancer in the early stages, survival rates tend to be higher. If cancer has advanced, for example, by spreading beyond the breast tissue, survival rates are likely to be lower.
Doctors can treat ILC in two ways: locally and systemically. Local treatments for ILC target the tumor and the area that immediately surrounds it.
These treatments can include surgery, such as a lumpectomy or mastectomy, or radiation therapy that directly attacks the cancer.
Systemic treatments for ILC attack cancer cells that have spread beyond the breast tissue.
Chemotherapy and hormonal therapy are the two main systemic treatments for ILC. Targeted therapies such as palbociclib or verzenio treat advanced stages, particularly stage 4 breast cancer.
Depending on how advanced the cancer is, a doctor may recommend a combination of local and systemic treatments.
Most healthcare professionals treat invasive breast cancers with a combination therapies such as surgery and hormonal therapy or surgery and radiation.
An oncologist, or cancer specialist, will help determine the best treatment plan for each person. They will take several factors into account, including the person’s general health and the grade and stage of the cancer.
How does treatment impact outlook?
Several factors influence how treatment will impact the outlook, including:
- the stage of the cancer
- the size of the tumour
- the age of the person
- how the cancer will respond to a certain treatment
- how likely it is that the cancer will come back after treatment
This will vary for each person. Treatment can improve a patient’s outlook, but it does not mean it will cure the disease.
If treatment cures cancer, this means that it destroys all of the cancer cells, and they do not return. Although this is the goal of treatment, it is not always possible.
Often, cancer goes into remission, meaning the patient has no evidence of cancer. A person may have few or no clinical symptoms, but cancer cells still exist in the body.
Cancer cells can survive in the body for many years. If a cancer recurs after the initial treatment, most tend to do so within the first 5 years of diagnosis.
During remission, a doctor carefully checks for any indications of the cancer’s return, as well as for any late side effects of treatment.
What is the deadliest form of breast cancer?
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer.
What is the survival rate for invasive lobular carcinoma?
The 5-year survival rate for ILC is
Is invasive breast cancer curable?
Treatments can successfully cure invasive breast cancer with early detection.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be stressful, and many people worry about the outcome. When doctors diagnose ILC in early stages, survival rates are higher.
There are several treatment options for ILC, depending on the stage and nature of the cancer. Joining a support group and talking with loved ones can help a person cope with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.