Silent Rise of Lesser-Known Form of Breast Cancer Known as Lobular Breast Cancer Among American Women
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Oct 08, 2025 2 hours, 9 minutes ago
Medical News: A Growing Hidden Threat
A new study has revealed a troubling increase in a lesser-known form of breast cancer known as invasive lobular carcinoma, or ILC. While it has long been overshadowed by the more common ductal carcinoma, researchers now warn that this type of cancer deserves far greater attention because of its rising incidence and unique challenges in diagnosis and treatment.
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Silent Rise of Lesser-Known Form of Breast Cancer Known as Lobular Breast Cancer Among American Women
Study Overview and Research Institutions
This
Medical News report is based on extensive research led by scientists from the American Cancer Society, working with the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and the National Cancer Institute’s SEER program. The team analyzed breast cancer data from 1975 to 2021, focusing on how often ILC is diagnosed, how patients survive over time, and how cases differ across racial and ethnic groups. Their findings show that lobular breast cancer is increasing at a rate much higher than most other types.
Sharp Rise in Cases
The researchers discovered that between 2012 and 2021, ILC diagnoses increased by about 2.8 percent each year — more than three times faster than the growth rate of all breast cancers combined. This surge means that approximately 33,600 women in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with ILC this year. If classified as a separate type of cancer, ILC would rank as the seventh most common cancer among women.
Differences Among Racial and Ethnic Groups
The study found notable variations in incidence rates between different groups. Asian American and Pacific Islander women experienced the fastest rise, with cases climbing by around 4.4 percent per year. White women still have the highest overall incidence rate, followed by Black women. These disparities may be linked to differences in genetics, hormonal factors, lifestyle influences, and access to healthcare and screening.
Survival Rates Reveal a Complex Pattern
Women diagnosed with ILC tend to have slightly better short-term survival compared to those with ductal carcinoma, especially when the cancer is detected early and remains localized. However, this advantage fades over time. For regional-stage disease, where cancer spreads to nearby tissue, the 10-year survival rate is about 78 percent for ILC versus 76 percent for ductal carcinoma. At distant or metastatic stages, outcomes remain poor — only about one in five women with ILC survive ten years, compared to roughly one in eight for ductal carcinoma.
Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment
Unlike ductal carcinoma, lobular breast cancer does not usually form firm lumps. Instead, it spreads in thin sheets of cells that are harder to detect during routine mammograms or physical exams. This often leads to delayed diagnosis, meaning the cancer is discovered at a more advanced stage. In addit
ion, ILC cells tend to behave differently on a molecular level, sometimes responding poorly to standard chemotherapy or hormone therapy. This difference underscores the need for new, more tailored treatment strategies.
Calls for Better Awareness and Research
The researchers emphasize that ILC has been historically overlooked because it is frequently grouped together with ductal carcinoma in both research and clinical trials. This has hidden its unique biological traits and hindered the development of specific diagnostic tools and therapies. They call for more investment in lobular cancer research, improved imaging methods, and greater awareness among women and healthcare professionals to ensure earlier detection and better long-term outcomes.
Conclusion
The study sheds light on an underrecognized yet growing health threat. Invasive lobular carcinoma is increasing faster than other breast cancers, affecting tens of thousands of women annually and posing complex diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Recognizing it as a distinct disease and improving detection methods are crucial steps to saving more lives and preventing the survival gap from widening further.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Cancer
https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cncr.70061
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