Incidence of Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Rose From 2012 to 2021

TUESDAY, Oct. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The incidence rates for invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) increased from 2012 to 2021 for all racial and ethnic groups, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Cancer.

Angela N. Giaquinto, from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues used data from the National Cancer Institute and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to report the incidence and outcomes of ILC by age, race, and ethnicity among U.S. women.

The researchers found that in 2021, the incidence of ILC was 14 per 100,000 women, which accounted for 10.6 percent of breast cancer diagnoses. From 2012 through 2021, rates increased in all racial ethnic groups, ranging from 2.5 percent annually in American Indian/Alaska Native women to 4.4 percent annually in Asian American/Pacific Islander women. The highest incidence was seen in White women  (14.7 per 100,000) across age groups, followed by Black women (11 per 100,000). Survival for ILC was slightly higher in the first seven years after diagnosis compared with ductal carcinoma, but similar at 10 years. 

“Although lobular breast cancer accounts for a little over 10 percent of all breast cancers, the sheer number of new diagnoses each year makes this disease important to understand,” Giaquinto said in a statement. “Also, survival rates beyond seven years are significantly lower for ILC than the most common type of breast cancer, highlighting the pressing need for prevention and early detection strategies targeting this subtype to be brought to the forefront.”

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