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infiltrating ductal carcinoma

(IN-fil-TRAY-ting DUK-tul KAR-sih-NOH-muh)
The most common type of infiltrating breast cancer. It begins in the lining of the milk ducts (thin tubes that carry milk from the lobules of the breast to the nipple) and spreads outside the ducts to surrounding normal tissue. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma can also spread through the blood and lymph systems to other parts of the body. Also called invasive ductal carcinoma.
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Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast; drawing shows a lobe, ducts, and fatty tissue in a cross section of the breast. An inset shows a normal duct and a duct with IDC and cancer cells spreading outside it.Enlarge this image in new window
Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast begins in the lining of a breast duct (milk duct) and spreads outside the duct to other tissues in the breast. It can also spread through the blood and lymph system to other parts of the body. IDC is the most common type of invasive breast cancer.
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