Invasive ductal carcinoma prognosis depends on the exact subtype of carcinoma that is involved. Generally, invasive ductal carcinoma is one of the more common forms of breast cancer. Another common manifestation is known as breast ductal carcinoma in situ. While the in situ, also known as intraductal, variety is considered noninvasive and does not have distinct lumps, the form of invasive ductal carcinoma has hard lumps and is considered quite dangerous. The prognosis for this type is intermediate. On the other hand, intraductal breast carcinoma prognosis is extremely good and many experts do not even classify breast ductal carcinoma in situ as being a true cancer, meaning that there does not exist a true intraductal breast carcinoma prognosis. The different subtypes of invasive ductal carcinoma include papillary, tubular, mucinous, and cribriform carcinomas. Prognosis will often be determined taking certain factors into account. The relative aspects that will need to be examined are the staging, expression of hormone receptors, level of oncogenes, and histological grade.

The symptoms of invasive ductal carcinoma can be quite different between patients. The most common symptom is the development of a lump in the breast area. Swelling may also occur and skin changes in the region are not unusual. Women should complete a self-exam of their breasts each month to look for strange lumps or formations. Those that are over the age of forty should include an annual mammogram to their check-ups. The best way to successfully deal with breast cancer lies in early detection. For this reason, any lumps that are found during the monthly exam should be referred to a local doctor as soon as possible. A biopsy and diagnosis can take some time to complete, but a person should rapidly respond to the problem in order to avoid future problems that can happen when a person waits too long.

Invasive ductal carcinoma treatment will depend on both the subtype of the carcinoma as well as the size of the mass. If the tumor is less than four centimeters, a surgeon will remove the mass through an operation and then take a sample of the lymph nodes. After the surgical procedure has been completed, a patient will need to undergo a form of therapy to rid the body of any remaining cancerous cells. This adjuvant therapy can be comprised of any combination of chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or radiotherapy. In some cases repeat operations may be needed to move larger tumors. In cases where the initial tumor is bigger than four centimeters, a different ductal carcinoma treatment technique is needed. The surgeon will perform a modified radical mastectomy instead of a simple lumpectomy. The lymph nodes will also be sampled and therapy will be needed after the operation is finished. As each person may have individual differences with their tumors, the treatment methods may vary. A competent physician will analyze all aspects of the cancerous growth before deciding on the best possible treatment technique. After detection, invasive ductal carcinoma prognosis is intermediate except in some cases, such as sarcomatoid carcinoma or inflammatory carcinoma, that have a poor prognosis.