Invasive breast carcinoma - IARC

CHAPTER 1
Tumours of the Breast
Cancer of the breast is one of the most common human neoplasms,
accounting for approximately one quarter of all cancers
in females. It is associated with the Western lifestyle, and
incidence rates are, there f o re, highest in countries with
advanced economies. Additional risk factors include early
menarche and late childbirth. Breast cancer is further characterized
by a marked genetic susceptibility. Early detection and
advances in treatment have begun to reduce mortality rates in
several countries. Through the use of cDNA expression profiles,
it may become possible to predict clinical outcome in individual
patients.
The typing of invasive breast cancer and its histological variants
is well established. More difficult is the classification of
pre-invasive breast lesions which are now increasingly detected
by mammography. The WHO Working Group agreed that
more clinical follow-up and genetic data are needed for a better
understanding of the natural history of these lesions.