ask: what is survival rate of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

Hi, Anon. Welcome to EmpowHer, and thanks very much for your question.

As with all cancers, the survival rate changes depending on when the cancer is found (what stage it is in and whether it has spread to any lymph nodes), when treatment is started and how successful the treatment is for that particular patient (for instance, whether surgery produces clear margins). Two patients with identical cancers might have very different experiences depending on when it's found and when and how it's treated.

With Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, if it has not spread to the lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is about 98%. If it has spread to the lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is about 85%.

IDC is the most common kind of breast cancer; the Mayo Clinic says that about 70 percent of all breast cancers are IDC. It begins in the milk ducts and "invades" the tissue surrounding them. (Please know that that's an entirely different thing from when you hear that a cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or has metastasized.)

Here is some more information on IDC:

http://www.healthcentral.com/breast-cancer/types-36003-5.html

http://breastcancer.about.com/od/types/p/idc.htm

Are you asking for yourself, or for a loved one or friend? Is there more information I can provide for you?

I was diagnosed with IDC in 2001. Stage 1, found the lump during a monthly self exam. I had a modified radical mastectomy and 4 rounds of AC chemo. Went on tamoxifen for 4 years and have been cancer free for TEN years. I never ever miss my mammo and this year I was told to have a MRI also, had some pain. It was clear and the pain is most likely due to scar tissue from the reconstruction. Please to all my sisters, have your mammo. If you expect anything is abnormal with your body, get it checked out. Find a GYN that you can tell 'anything'. Make her your private friend, one that will listen to all your woes and pains. You never know when that one little lump, as mine was, is something other than a problem. I had cystic breasts, this felt different. Hard, didn't move around. Check those boobs. Val