The Mayo Clinic Diet Book, learn more

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Illustration showing parts of the breast Breast anatomy

Living With Cancer

Subscribe to our Living With Cancer e-newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics.

Sign up now

It's not clear what causes invasive lobular carcinoma.

How invasive lobular carcinoma forms
Doctors know that invasive lobular carcinoma begins when cells in one or more milk-producing glands of the breast develop mutations in their DNA. The mutations tell the cells to divide and grow rapidly. The cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body.

Lobular carcinoma cells tend to invade surrounding breast tissue in a web-like manner. The affected area may have a different feel from the surrounding breast tissue, but it is unlikely to feel like a lump.

Risk factors Symptoms

  • See Also

    • Hand Scheduled
    Section Focus
    Related Links
    Related Guides
    Children
    Parent
  • Breast cancer
References
  1. Rakha EA, et al. Lobular breast carcinoma and its variants. Seminars in Diagnostic Pathology. 2010;27:49.
  2. Chen WY. Postmenopausal hormone therapy and breast cancer risk: Current status and unanswered questions. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America. 2011;40:509.
  3. Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-4/0/1709/0.html. Accessed April 24, 2012.
  4. Breast cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed April 24, 2012.
  5. Biglia N, et al. Increased incidence of lobular breast cancer in women treated with hormone replacement therapy: Implications for diagnosis, surgical and medical treatment. Endocrine-Related Cancer. 2007;14:549.
  6. Schrader KA, et al. Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer: Association with lobular breast cancer. Familial Cancer. 2008;7:73.
  7. Breast cancer treatment (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/healthprofessional. Accessed April 24, 2012.
  8. Breast cancer prevention (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/breast/healthprofessional. Accessed April 24, 2012.
  9. Avis NE. Breast cancer survivors and hot flashes: The search for nonhormonal treatments. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2008;26:5008.
  10. Pruthi S (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 7, 2012.
DS01063 May 22, 2012

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger