Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Español
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

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.
More Information
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.
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms