Invasive Carcinoma

摘要

Invasive breast cancer is the most common carcinoma in women, accounting for 23% of all cancers worldwide [Ferlay et al, 2008]. Its incidence increases with age and varies markedly in different geographical areas due to different lifestyles and genetic factors. Australia, Europe, and North America are the regions with the highest incidence, where 6% of women develop invasive breast cancer before 75 years of age. Although it is a widespread disease, patient prognosis is usually good when it is discovered at an early stage. Nevertheless, some subtypes of breast carcinoma behave in a very aggressive way regardless of their size. FNAC is able to identify most breast cancers with high accuracy, and there are also grounds for its routine use in the molecular and genetic characterization of tumor cells without resorting to more invasive techniques [see Chapter 11, this vol., pp. 108-111].