| k"> | | | | Stage 2 has two subcategories. In stage 2A, |
| | | | the invasive cancer can be 2 cm or less and has |
| Breast cancer is divided into five stages. Stages | | | | spread to axillary (armpit) lymph node(s), i.e. |
| 0-2 are considered early, stage 3 | | | | positive node(s). Also, the invasive cancer can |
| considered advanced, and stage 4 | | | | be as large as 5 cm, but has not spread to lymph |
| late. Staging categories are important for | | | | nodes, i.e. negative nodes. In stage 2B, the |
| predicting future prognosis, and determine optimal | | | | invasive cancer is between 2cm and up to 5 cm |
| treatment recommendations. | | | | and has spread to nodes. Here, cancer may |
| Breast cancer is divided into five stages. Stages | | | | measure even larger than 5 cm if it has not |
| 0-2 are considered early, stage 3 | | | | spread to nodes. |
| considered advanced, and stage 4 | | | | Stage 3 includes invasive cancer larger than 5 cm |
| late. Staging categories are important for | | | | that has spread to lymph nodes. Also, cancer of |
| predicting future prognosis, and determine optimal | | | | any size that heavily involves the axillary lymph |
| treatment recommendations. | | | | nodes to the point that these nodes are bulky |
| Stage 0 is DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in situ. | | | | and stuck together or stuck to other structures |
| Breast cancer arises from the cells that line the | | | | in the axilla (armpit) are in this stage. Tumor |
| milk ducts. When the cancerous cells are still | | | | spread to lymph nodes either above or below the |
| contained inside the duct, it is diagnosed as | | | | clavicle bone, or to nodes underneath the sternum |
| DCIS. This can only be determined by a | | | | (breast bone), also falls into this category. |
| pathologist doctor looking at the tissue under a | | | | Furthermore, if the cancer of any size is |
| microscope. In general, when the DCIS lesion is | | | | attached to the chest wall (pectoralis muscle and |
| small, there is no need to suspect cancer spread | | | | or ribs), it qualifies as stage 3. Inflammatory |
| outside the breast. | | | | cancer, where the skin of the breast is red and |
| Stage 1 is invasive or infiltrating cancer. Here, | | | | swollen, is classified in this stage, regardless of |
| the cancer cells have broken through the duct | | | | size. |
| wall and are found outside the ducts as well. In | | | | Stage 4 is invasive cancer found outside the |
| this case, doctors need to determine whether the | | | | breast and axillary lymph nodes, or |
| cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. Stage 1 | | | | metastatic to distant sites. At this stage, |
| breast cancer must be equal or smaller than 2 cm | | | | it does not matter how large the primary cancer |
| in its invasive component, AND have no spread to | | | | in the breast is. Nor does it matter whether |
| lymph nodes. Often, the tissue removed at | | | | axillary/clavicle/breast bone lymph nodes have |
| surgery contain DCIS in addition to the invasive | | | | cancer or not. The most common sites for |
| cancer. However, only the dimensions of the | | | | metastasis for breast cancer are bone and liver, |
| invasive cancer count. If the patient needs to | | | | followed by lungs and brain. Standard testing |
| have multiple surgeries and the invasive cancer is | | | | include bone scan and CT scan of the chest, |
| found at more than one operation, usually the | | | | abdomen and pelvis. More recently, PET scan is |
| dimensions are added together to arrive at the | | | | often done to look for cancer spread. |
| final size. | | | | Sometimes, a brain MRI or CT is also useful. |