Invasive Vs. Non-invasive Breast Cancer

Hopefully by now, you’ve heard about the dangers of breast cancer and ways to detect it early in woman. But do you know the different types of breast cancers? Yes, there are different stages but the other huge difference is whether it is invasive or non-invasive breast cancer. Before we get into the differences, we need to talk about what breast cancer in general is/looks like.


According to, breast cancer usually begins either in the cells of the lobules, which are milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. This is where the difference between invasive and non-invasive begins. Here is the difference broken down:



Non-invasive: This type is normally less of a threat because they do not grow into of invade normal tissues within or beyond the breast. That’s because they stay within the milk ducts or lobules. However, this type still need to be carefully watched. Non-invasive breast cancer is sometimes called pre-cancer (luckily it’s not a huge threat unless it grows and becomes invasive).


Picture of Non-Invasive

non invasive vs invasive breast cancer

Invasive: To put it simply, breast cancer is this type when the tissue spreads beyond just the breast. Most of these grow into normal healthy tissues but some do not. Unfortunately, the tissues that do break spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream and lymph nodes. This is the most common type with 90 out of 100 casing be invasive breast cancer according to Cancer Research UK. Another name for invasive breast cancer is (NSP) meaning no special type since this kind is the norm. Invasive breast cancer will normally be treated by surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, biological therapy or a combination of treatments. 

invasive breast cancer

Hopefully now you can understand the difference between invasive and non-invasive breast cancer. Something to note, sometimes you can have both types of breast cancer. If you have any questions, please contact your doctor. Remember, the best way to detect breast cancer early is to get a mammogram! You can do so at our office

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