A less common form of breast cancer is on the rise, according to a special report from the American Cancer Society.

Lobular breast cancer rates are increasing three times faster than all other breast cancers combined.

Our Christine continues the conversation about breast cancer awareness and finds out what makes lobular breast cancer different and what might be causing this increase.

That in tonight's medical news.

Here to talk with us about the rise in lobular breast cancer diagnoses.

We have Doctor Alyssa Dahl from Norton Health Care.

So Doctor Dahl, explain to us exactly what is lobular breast cancer and how does that compare with other types of breast cancer.

Yes.

So there's two types of breast cancer.

Lobular breast cancer and ductal breast cancer.

And they originate from the two different structures of tissue within the breast.

So there's lobular breast tissue and ductal breast tissue.

The purpose of the lobular is is to make milk for breast feeding.

And the purpose of the ducks is for transport of that milk from where it's made to the nipple.

So we can see cancers form in either one of those tissue types.

So in recent news we've seen that lobular breast cancer diagnoses are on the rise.

Why might that be.

Yeah I think that that's a good question.

In reality, I don't know that we know the answer.

I think we know that the incidence of lobular cancer is increasing compared to, say, in 2015 or earlier.

We know that there are a higher proportion of breast cancers that are being diagnosed that are lobular.

The question that I have is whether or not it's truly that they're more common or just whether we're better at picking up on them.

So lobular cancers can be more difficult to see on conventional types of breast imaging like mammogram and ultrasound.

But as our imaging has gotten better, that is potentially one reason why we're seeing more of them.

Okay.

Why are they more difficult to see?

What's different about them?

So ductal cancers tend to form a mass.

And we can see that pretty easily on mammogram and ultrasound.

When lobular cancers form they don't necessarily form a mass.

And sometimes they can travel and little linear lines along the tissue.

It just makes them a little bit more difficult to see on those modalities.

So we have other ways to image the breast if necessary.

Okay.

So lobular I think lobular.

And I do think of a glob.

But it's it's more like a liner and so harder to detect.

So can it be detected in like a self breast exam.

Some sometimes it can.

But most commonly we see lobular cancers on screening on mammograms or or is it detected some other way.

Usually mammograms.

Okay.

So you find it on a mammogram and then you can do an ultrasound or some other.

What are some of the other diagnostic tools that you then can use to your advantage.

So we always start with mammogram usually with screening mammogram.

And that serves as our gateway into all of the other options.

And so if there's ever anything abnormal on mammogram then we would usually get a different type of mammogram.

Something that takes a little bit more pictures maybe an ultrasound.

There's also a breast MRI that is useful in some patients.

Not all patients, but some and then physical exam by a medical professional who specializes in breast cancer.

Those are the places that we start.

Okay.

So we've talked about ductal, breast cancer.

That's most common in lobular that we're talking about now.

Do men get both types?

Yes.

Men can actually get breast cancer.

And they can get both types of breast cancer.

Just like in women.

Ductal cancers are more common in men as well.

So men actually have a little bit of breast tissue.

It doesn't mature in the same way that a woman's breast does because of the estrogen that a woman has in her body during her life.

But men do have small amounts of estrogen, and they do have a small amount of breast tissue.

So men can actually get breast cancer as well.

Okay.

How does lobular cancer differ from, say, ductal cancer.

Breast cancer in in a prognosis.

Is it just as good.

Is it different.

It's just as good.

So when we compare stage of ductal to the same stage of lobular cancer, there's very similar long term outcomes.

You know, we look at survival disease free survival.

Those things are very comparable between the two subtypes.

Okay.

And just for prevention what are some of the risks and how can we lower our risk of not just lobular breast cancer but ductal breast cancer in terms of reducing risk?

I think one of the most important things for reducing risk of breast cancer falls in line with just improving your overall health, which is regular exercise, eating a healthy, balanced diet, low and inflammatory foods, and maintaining a healthy weight.

That's the best way to prevent breast cancer from happening.

Other ways to detect it early is are really screenings.

And so when we think really those two go hand in hand, one is prevention and the other is early detection.

But those are the ways to ensure that you're optimizing just your overall health as well as your breast cancer risk.

Okay.

Wonderful.

Well this is great advice.

Thank you so much for your expertise and for taking the time to share this with us.

Thank you.

Thank you for having me.

And thank you Christy Dutton.

Lobular breast cancer.

Now, account accounts for about 10% of all new breast cancer diagnoses.