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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffRather than forming a distinct lump you can feel, invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) may simply feel like a thickened area in your breast. Lobular carcinoma cells tend to break out of the lobule in single file, then invade surrounding breast tissue in a web-like manner. The affected area may have a different textural feel from normal breast tissue, but it is unlikely to be a discrete mass.
As a result, an invasive lobular carcinoma might become fairly large — about 3/4 inch (2 centimeters) to about 2 inches (5 centimeters) or bigger — before any signs or symptoms appear. These might include:
- An area of thickening in part of the breast
- A new area of fullness or swelling in the breast
- A change in the texture or appearance of the skin overlying the breast, such as dimpling or thickening
- An inward-turning nipple (nipple retraction)
