For international audiences this article will use "invasive carcinoma NST" because it is the preferred term of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Breast cancer is often asymptomatic and diagnosis by screening, but may present with symptoms of pain, palpable mass, skin changes, or complications of metastasis.

However, general factors such as high tumor grade, stage, receptor negativity, BRCA1-positivity suggest higher risk of recurrence and lower overall survival.

Treatment is individualized however most patients are offered some combination of neoadjuvant, surgical, radiation, and adjuvant systemic medical therapies.

Differing opinions within the medical and public health communities have led to some variance in how this disease is referred in research and clinical settings.

In 2012 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a sub-department of the WHO, published the 4th edition of the WHO Classification of Tumors of the Breast.

[15] Changes to the overlying skin including dimpling, pinching, orange peel-like texture, or nipple retraction may be seen.

[16] Non-healing ulcers can form in advanced disease, and were more common historically prior to modern medical care.Metastatic lesions from breast cancer may produce symptoms according to that organ system.

[18] Metastasis to adjacent lympatics may produce palpable masses in the axilla or an orange peel-like texture of the skin of the effected breast.

The process may be prompted by a patient presenting with a palpable mass or by evidence of a suspicious lesion on routine screening tests.

Immunohistochemical staining is used to establish receptor status, and the presence or absence of pertinent genes is determined by DNA testing.

On microscopic evaluation carcinomatous cells are seen below the basement membrane of lactiferous ducts and invade into the surrounding breast stroma.

The cells of a lesion of invasive carcinoma NST may retain >70% ductal differentiation or appear completely undifferentiated.

Small inclusions of special features may be present within an invasive carcinoma NST tissue sample, but will be  'limited' (i.e. <10%).

[24]Cancers in general will be staged according their degree of tumor size, lymph node involvement, and evidence of metastasis.

A more accurate measurement of tumor size and observation of extension into adjacent structures can be determined via pathological staging following surgery.

In studies, some women have had presence of cancer in the lymph nodes, were not treated with chemotherapy, and still did not have a systemic spread.

The results of DNA testing are considered less reliable predictors of spread than size, histology, and lymph node involvement.

[26] While prognosis in invasive carcinoma NST is difficult to predict, there are some prognostic factors that help estimate survival.

Mucinous, papillary, cribriform, and tubular carcinomas have longer survival, and lower recurrence rates.

Regardless of the histological subtype, the prognosis of IDC depends also on tumor size, presence of cancer in the lymph nodes, histological grade, presence of cancer in small vessels (vascular invasion), expression of hormone receptors and of oncogenes like HER2/neu.

[29] In general, greater tumor size and presence of lymph node metastasis predicts higher risk of recurrence after initial diagnosis and treatment.

In one study, the lifetime risk of recurrence was 20% for smaller (<2 cm) tumors without lymph node metastasis.

Management options for patients with invasive breast carcinomas include surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic adjuvant medical therapy.

Patients with early stage disease may be offered surgery, including breast conserving therapy.