Breast Pathology and Cancer Diagnosis

Special Types of Carcinoma

20% of breast carcinomas are of special type and the majority of these are lobular carcinomas. Tubular and mucinous carcinomas occur next most frequently and thereafter the remaining special types are seen infrequently. In order to make a diagnosis of a special type of carcinoma >90% of the tumour is required to show the particular pattern in question. Special types of carcinoma should be distinguished from mixed carcinomas where the special type areas occupy between 50 and 90% of the tumour area with the remaining area being usually of no special type.