Medullary breast cancer is one of less common breast cancer types. It tends not to spread as frequently as other types of breast cancer and has usually better prognosis than the ordinary breast cancer. That why it is considered as „better” breast cancer. It can look like infiltrating ductal carcinoma, but the tumor cells have a distinct look under the microscope. However, by mammography or sonography it might be difficult to distinguish medullary breast cancer from fibro adenoma.
Medullary breast cancer is more common among women who have a genetic preposition to breast cancer (the observation was made by Anderson in 1994), it comprises about 15% of breast cancers. While having this type of cancer, the border between the cancer tissue and the normal tissues is relatively well-defined. Because of these reasons, the prognosis for patients with medullary carcinoma is better than for women with other types of invasive ductal or lobular carcinoma.
It has been implied that in case of medullary breast cancer immune system is involved in controlling the tumor. This may partially explain the improved outcome of medullary breast cancer patients. There have been identified cancer-associated genes which are altered in medullary breast cancer cells.
Medullary breast cancer is treated the same way as ductal carcinoma.
