Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

Healthcare providers may do the following tests to diagnose this condition:

• Mammogram. This test is a low-dose X-ray that detects abnormalities in your breast tissue.
• Ultrasound. This imaging test uses sound waves to capture pictures of your breast tissue. Ultrasound may be used as a standalone test or in combination with mammography.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Your healthcare provider may request an MRI, which uses radio waves and magnets to take detailed pictures inside of your body.
• Biopsy. In order to confirm the cancer is present, your healthcare provider may take a small sample of breast tissue and send it to a pathology lab for analysis.

What are the stages of invasive lobular carcinoma?

Healthcare providers use cancer staging systems to plan treatment. Invasive lobular carcinoma is divided into four stages. Staging is based on several factors, including the size of the tumor, where it’s located and how far it has spread:

• Stage 1: The tumor is up to 2 centimeters (cm) across and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes.
• Stage 2: At this stage, the tumor may be about 2 cm across and the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes. Or the tumor has grown up to 5 cm across and the cancer hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes.
• Stage 3: The cancer may have spread to lymph nodes, but hasn’t spread to distant sites like other organs in your body. In some cases, the cancer may have spread into your chest wall.
• Stage 4: The cancer may or may not have spread to nearby lymph nodes. The cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes or organs, which may include your liver, lungs, bone or brain. Stage 4 is also referred to as metastatic breast cancer.