Primary Tumor
Over time, cancer cells form a mass
called a primary tumor.
Metastasis
Unlike normal cells, cancer cells can
spread and form tumors in other parts
of the body called metastases.
In this process, cancer cells break away
from the first (primary) tumor and travel
through blood or lymph vessels to distant
sites. Once in other sites, cancer cells
may form secondary tumors.
Invasive
Cancer cells can grow into surrounding
tissues. Invasive breast cancer is breast
cancer that has spread from the milk ducts
or milk glands into the surrounding breast
tissue or nearby lymph nodes.
What is
Breast Cancer?
BREAST CANCER starts in the cells of the breast.
Majority of breast cancers are a subtype called carcinomas
(cancers that start in the cells that line the inner or outer surfaces
of the body).
How breast cancer spreads
Cancer cells don’t behave like normal cells. They differ from normal cells in the following ways:
SOURCE: National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)