Researchers added that the differentiation is useful and helps treat breast cancer.
Blood supply of medial tumors is primarily through the internal mammary vessels. Lateral tumors may be supplied by both the internal or lateral mammary branches.
Researchers at the University of Miami and the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel evaluated tumors' (23 lateral and 24 medial) blood supply.
In lateral tumors, 47 percent use the medial vessel, 35 percent use the lateral vessel and 18 percent did not have a prevailing vessel.
In medial tumors, 87 percent use the medial vessel and the remaining from the lateral vessel.
"Our findings support existing differences between medial and lateral breast tumors regarding metastatic spread and survival. These differences may indicate a need for differential treatment modalities according to location," Ahuva Grubstein, MD, of the Rabin Medical Center and lead author of the study told Medindia.
The study will be presented during the American Roentgen Ray Societys annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
