Papillary breast cancer is an uncommon type of invasive breast cancer. It’s generally slow-growing and responds well to treatment.

In this article, we’ll discuss the features of papillary breast cancer, who gets it, and what you can expect from treatment.

How common is papillary breast cancer?

Papillary breast cancer is rare, making up only 0.5 to 1 percentTrusted Source of all breast cancers. Like many breast cancers, it starts in the milk ducts. However, it tends to contain both invasive cells and noninvasive cells (in situ).

Under a microscope, a papillary breast tumor appears to have small, finger-like growths called papules. Borders are typically well-defined. It’s a distinctive look that sets it apart from other breast cancers.

Lymph node involvement is less likely with papillary breast cancer than it is with other types of breast cancer. Papillary breast cancer tends to be:

  • small
  • estrogen receptor-positive, progesterone receptor-positive, or both
  • HER2-negative

A retrospective study published in 2021 analyzed 44 cases of invasive papillary breast cancer. Of those, 72.7 percent were estrogen receptor-positive and progesterone receptor-positive, while only 13.6 percent were HER2-positive.

 

What are the symptoms of papillary breast cancer?

The symptoms of papillary breast cancer are the same as symptoms of other types of breast cancer. These may include:

  • a lump, thickening, or swelling on the breast or underarm
  • any change in breast size or shape
  • discharge from the nipple
  • nipple pulling inward
  • puckering or dimpling of the skin
  • redness or flaking of the skin
  • pain

What are the causes and risk factors of papillary breast cancer?

Cancer occurs when there are errors in DNA. As abnormal breast cells grow and divide, they create more cells with errors. Eventually, these cells start to grow out of control and form a tumor. What causes a person to develop papillary breast cancer isn’t known.

Papillary breast cancer is most commonTrusted Source in postmenopausal people assigned female at birth. However, people assigned male at birth and younger females can get it, too.

Research suggests that papillary breast cancer is typically diagnosed in people ages 63 to 67. It’s not always the case, but some may have a preexisting papilloma (a type of noncancerous tumor).

According to the American Cancer SocietyTrusted Source, having one papilloma does not raise the risk of breast cancer unless it has other changes such as atypical hyperplasia. Having several papillomas may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer.

Factors that put you at risk

Factors that put you at high riskTrusted Source of breast cancer are:

  • strong family history of breast cancer
  • inherited genetic changes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations

Other risk factors for breast cancer include:

  • menstruation before age 12
  • menopause after age 55
  • taking hormonal therapy or certain oral contraceptives
  • sedentary (inactive) lifestyle
  • having overweight and obesity after menopause
  • drinking alcohol