Lobular breast cancer statistics, 2025

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Epidemiology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most common breast cancer subtype, yet often overlooked in research dominated by ductal carcinoma.
• Distinctive features of ILC can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the incidence and outcomes of ILC in the United States across different demographic groups.
• To highlight the differences between ILC and ductal carcinoma in clinical presentation and prognosis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized national cancer registry data from the National Cancer Institute and CDC.
• Analyzed ILC incidence and outcomes stratified by age, race, and ethnicity in women.

Main Results:

• ILC incidence was 14 per 100,000 women in 2021, representing 10.6% of diagnoses.
• ILC rates increased from 2012-2021 across all racial/ethnic groups, with the highest overall incidence in White women.
• While early survival is comparable, ILC shows lower survival for regional/distant stages compared to ductal carcinoma, potentially due to unique metastatic patterns.

Conclusions:

• ILC possesses unique characteristics impacting detection, therapy response, and prognosis, especially in advanced stages.
• Distinguishing ILC in research and clinical settings is vital for identifying risk factors, enhancing treatment efficacy, and understanding metastatic processes.
• Improved understanding and tailored approaches for ILC are necessary to improve outcomes for the growing number of affected women.