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Breast Cancer Stages

breast cancer stagesIf physicians talk about breast cancer stages, they also use terms such as "early" or "advanced" stages. Although these terms for stages of breast cancer are not medically precise (they may be used differently by different doctors), here is a general idea of how they apply to the official staging system and a short discription:

  • Early Stage of Breast Cancer: Stages 0 - II

  • Later Stage of Breast Cancer: Stages III (IIIA, IIIB)

  • Advanced Stage of Breast Cancer: Stage IV

Stage 0: This breast cancer stage describes non-invasive. There is no evidence of cancer cells breaking through to or invading neighboring normal tissue.

Stage I: This stage of breast cancer describes invasive breast cancer in which the tumor measures up to 2cm AND no lymph nodes are involved.

Stage II: This breast cancer stage describes invasive breast cancer in which the tumor measures 2-5cm OR cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm on the same side as the breast cancer.

Stage IIIA: This stage 3 of breast cancer describes invasive breast cancer in which the tumor measures larger than 5cm OR the tumor has spread to lymph nodes, and nodes are clumping or sticking to one another or surrounding tissue.

Stage IIIB: This stage of breast cancer describes invasive cancer in which a tumor of any size has spread to the breast skin, chest wall, or internal mammary lymph nodes (located beneath the breast inside the chest) and includes inflammatory breast cancer.

Stage IV: This breast cancer stage includes invasive cancer in which a tumor has spread beyond the breast, underarm, and internal mammary lymph nodes to main organs of the body, like the lungs, brain, bones or liver.

Breast Cancer Treatment

Today, most women with breast cancer are diagnosed at an early breast cancer stage and they benefit from newer, more effective treatments. There are treatments available for patients at all breast cancer stages. Often more than one type of treatment is needed. The common treatments used today are listed and described below.

  • Surgery. It is used for early breast cancer. Most women can choose between breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy with radiation therapy) and removal of the breast (mastectomy).

  • Radiation therapy. Using high-dose x-rays to destroy cancer cells or keep them from dividing and growing. Radiation therapy is sometimes used to shrink tumors before or instead of surgery and sometimes used along with chemotherapy.

  • Chemotherapy. Using anticancer drugs to kill or stop the growth of cancer cells. This therapy affects the whole body by going through the bloodstream and destroying all rapidly dividing cells.

  • High-dose chemotherapy. Using high doses of anticancer drugs with peripheral stem cell transplantation and bone marrow transplantation to kill cancer cells.

  • Hormonal therapy. Using hormones to prevent the growth, spread, or recurrence of breast cancer, because some tumors depend on natural hormones to grow (estrogen or progesterone).

  • Biological therapy (immunotherapy). Using the immune system to fight cancer or to lessen the side effects that may be caused by some cancer treatments. These treatments are designed to repair, stimulate, or increase the body's natural ability to fight infections and cancer.



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