10/08/2025
October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Types of Breast Cancer
Mesquite Cancer HELP Society (MCHS)
You are considered a cancer survivor the day you are diagnosed. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. An estimated 316,950 invasive breast cancer in women in the US in 2025,, along with 59,080 ductal carcinoma (in situ) non-invasive. Each year breast cancer accounts for 30% in US women. 66% are diagnosed at the localized stage (meaning it has not spread outside the breast). 16% in women younger than 50 and less than 1% of breast cancer is found in men. Source: ACS
Take the first steps in preventing breast cancer. These easy steps may protect you from a cancer diagnosis.
Lay down, it gives the breast tissue an ability to evenly spread out along the chest wall. Put a pillow under your right shoulder and your right arm under your head.
With you left hand (move the tips of your 3 middle fingers around your right breast, checking the entire breast and armpit area.
Use light, medium and firm pressure to feel for any new lumps, hard knots, or any other changes to your breast. Repeat these steps on the other breast. Repeat the whole process if you are not sure you did it right the first time.
Also, you may not notice or feel any lumps but different breast cancers have other signs to look for and not to be ignored: leakage at the milk duct, skin that feels red and warm that can also give the skin a pitted thick feel like that of an orange. An indentation on your breast is also a sign of breast cancer. Following are types of cancer that affect women.
Breast Cancer Types
Cancer is either invasive or noninvasive. They are named by the area where the tumor first develops. A breast cancer type is determined by the specific cells in the breast.
Noninvasive Breast Cancer (called in-situ): It has not grown into the rest of the breast tissue.(it is within the lining of the lobule or duct. It may never spread to become an invasive cancer. One cannot predict which cases may spread, so nearly all cases are treated.
Ductal Carcinoma starts in the milk ducts of the breast.
Lobular Carcinoma begins in the milk lobules.
Invasive Breast Cancer: It has spread outside the lining of the ducts or lobules. It can continue to invade the blood, lymph system and other organs of your body.
Triple-negative breast cancer: is an aggressive type of invasive breast cancer. It is called “triple-negative” because cancer cells lack estrogen and progesterone receptors, and produce to much or no HER2 protein. It is more common in women with BRCA1/2 gene mutations. Source: Mayo Clinic
HER2 Positive and HER2 Negative Breast Cancer: HER2 Positive describes cells that have a protein called HER2 on their surface. In normal cells, HER2 helps control cell growth. Cells that make to much HER2 may grow more quickly and are more likely to spread to other parts of the body. Cancers that may be HER2 positive include breast, bladder, pancreatic, ovarian, and stomach cancers.
HER2 Negative (human epidermal growth receptor 2 negative): These cells have a small amount or none of a protein called HER2 on their surface. HER2, in normal cells, helps control cell growth. Cells that are HER2 negative may grow more slowly and are less likely to recur or spread to other parts of the body than cancer cells that have a large amount of HER2 on their surface. Source: NCI
Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) starts in the milk-producing glands (lobules) of the breast. This cancer makes up a small portion of all breast cancers. Invasive lobular carcinoma is less likely than other forms of breast cancer to cause a firm or distinct lump. A area thickening in part of the breast, a change in the texture/appearance of the breast skin such dimpling or thickening, or a newly inverted ni**le are all signs that you need to see your doctor and have him perform and examination.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer. IBC grows and spreads quickly. IBC causes symptoms of breast inflammation like swelling and redness, which is caused by cancer cells blocking lymph vessels in the skin and causing the breast to look “inflamed”. Warmth, itching, tenderness, and redness can also be symptoms of a breast infection such as mastitis. See your doctor a soon a possible if you have any of these symptoms.
Paget Disease of the Breast: This type of breast cancer starts in the breast ducts and spreads to the skin of the ni**le and then to the ar**la (the dark circle around the ni**le) – not related to Paget's disease of the bone. A woman may notice redness. Itching, flaking, discharge from the ni**le, thickened skin on or around your ni**le.
If you need extended information contact your local Mesquite Cancer HELP Society. Comments such as, "I doesn’t run in my family", "I’m too busy", “I work and cannot take time off”, "I'm scared they might find something", to "I hear it’s too painful" are all invalid excuses. See your doctor for a thorough examination if you have any of the above signs. Get your breast MAMMO as required; it can mean the difference between a clean MAMMO, early detection, or preventing something that could have become much more serious."
Women age 40-44 have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms. Women 45-54 should get a mammogram every year. Women 55 and older can switch to mammograms every other year,, or can continue yearly screening. Source: American Cancer Society
Learn more about us by going to www.cancerhelpnv.com or give us a call at 702-346-0622 or Yoli at 702-553-6523. Hours of operation are TUES/WED 10-3 and THURS 10-1. Appointments are also taken for any other day. We are located at 150 N Yucca, #36 at the old elementary school. We are a 501c3 tax exempt organization operating in Mesquite for 24+ years HELPing the people of Mesquite and the Virgin Valley (Littlefield, Beaver Dam, Scenic, Moapa and Overton/Logandale.
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