The stage of a breast cancer is determined by the cancer’s characteristics, such as how large it is and whether or not it has hormone receptors. The stage of the cancer helps you and your doctor figure out your prognosis, the likely outcome of the disease, decide on the best treatment options for you and determine if certain clinical trials may be a good option for you. This is to ensure that all doctors and treatment facilities are describing cancer in a uniform way so that the treatment results of all people can be compared and understood. Staging shows how much the cancer is advanced. In order to determine the stage, doctor may ask for diferent examinations and screenings. Mostly the cancer can be obtained in axillary lymph nodes.
After staging, patient can ask the followiing questions to her doctor:
* What type of breast cancer do I have?
* What are the results of hormonal test and other tests?
* What phase in my cancer in? Has it spread?
* How can this information help me to recieve the best treatment?
Stages of Breast Cancer:
Stage 0 is called carcinoma in situ.
Lobular carcinoma in situ at Stage 0 generally is not considered cancer. Although it has carcinoma in the name, it really describes a growth of abnormal but non-invasive cells forming in the lobules. Some experts prefer the name lobular neoplasia for this reason because it accurately refers to the abnormal cells without naming them as cancer. LCIS, however, may indicate a woman has an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Stage 0 breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-invasive cancer where abnormal cells have been found in the lining of the breast milk duct. In Stage 0 breast cancer, the atypical cells have not spread outside of the ducts or lobules into the surrounding breast tissue. Ductal Carcinoma In Situ is very early cancer that is highly treatable, but if it’s left untreated or undetected, it can spread into the surrounding breast tissue.
In Stage 1 breast cancer, cancer is evident, but it is contained to only the area where the first abnormal cells began to develop but it has the potential to spread. In this stage, the tumor in breast is smaller than 2 cm and is not spread out of breast (e.g. lymph nodes).
In stage 2A (IIA) one of the following is true:
* There is no tumor within the breast, but cancer has spread to the axillary (underarm) lymph nodes
* The tumor in the breast is 2 cm or smaller and cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes
* The tumor in the breast measures 2 cm to 5 cm but cancer has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
In stage IIB:
* The tumor measures 2 cm to 5 cm and cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes
* The tumor is larger than 5 cm but cancer has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
In stage IIIA:
* No tumor is found in the breast, but cancer is present in axillary lymph nodes that are attached to either other or other structures, or cancer may be found in the lymph nodes near the breast bone, or
* The tumor is 2 cm or smaller. Cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes that are attached to each other or other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone, or
* The tumor is 2 cm to 4 cm in size. Cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes that are attached to each other or to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breast bone, or
* The tumor is larger than 5 cm. Cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes that may be attached to each other or to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near
the breastbone.
In stage IIIB tumor can be in any size and:
* Has spread to the chest wall and/or skin of the breast, and
* May have spread to axillary lymph nodes that may be attached to each other or to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone.
* Cancer that has spread to the skin of the breast is inflammatory breast cancer.
In stage IIIC:
* There may be no sign of cancer in the breast or the tumor may be any size and may have spread to the chest wall and/or skin of the breast.
* Cancer cells are present in lymph nodes above or below the collarbone.
* Cancer cells may have spread to axillary lymph nodes or lymph nodes near the breastbone.
* Cancer that has spread to the skin of the breast is inflammatory breast cancer.
Stage IIIC breast cancer may be operable or inoperable.
* Operable stage IIIC: The cancer is found in 10 or more axillary lymph nodes, or is in lymph nodes below the collarbone, or is in axillary lymph nodes and lymph nodes near the breastbone.
* Inoperable stage IIIC: The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes above the collarbone.
In stage 4 (IV), the cancer has spread beyond the breast, underarm and internal mammary lymph nodes to other parts of the body near to or distant from the breast. The cancer has spread elsewhere in the body. The affected areas may include the bones, brain, lungs or liver and more than one part of the body may be involved.
