Breast Cancer Stages

stages of breast cancer are based on whether the cancer is invasive or noninvasive, whether lymph nodes were affected, if cancer cells have already spread beyond the breast and tumor size.

The purpose of identifying the stage of breast cancer is to organize the different factors and characteristics of cancer. By organizing the factors involved, the prognosis or the most likely outcome of the disease will be identified. The doctor may also give the patient the best guide to treatment for the disease.

Stage 0. At this stage, breast cancer is non-invasive. It simply means that there is no sign of non-cancerous abnormal cells or cancer cells out of the part of the chest, where they started. These cells have not invaded other tissues surrounding normal in the chest.

Step 1.

At this stage, breast cancer is called invasive. Cancer cells are already out of the part of the chest where they started and they have already invaded surrounding normal tissue. But in step 1, the lymph nodes are not affected or involved and the tumor at the height of 2 centimeters.

Step 2.

Stage 2 is described as invasive breast cancer and is subdivided into two categories: Stage 2A and Stage 2B. In Phase 2A, there is no breast tumor, but tumor 2 cm or less can be dispersed in the axillary lymph nodes, the node is located under the arm.

Another case of Phase 2A is that the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not more than 5 centimeters and has not spread in the axillary lymph nodes. In stage 2B, the tumor is more than 2 centimeters but not more than 5 and has already reached the axillary lymph nodes or if the tumor is greater than 5 centimeters, the tumor has not yet reached the axillary lymph nodes.

Step 3.

Stage 3 is described as one of the stages of invasive breast cancer and is subdivided into three categories: Stage 3A, 3B and stage of stage 3C. In step 3A, there is no breast tumor, but it is in the axillary lymph nodes or lymph nodes near the breastbone. The tumor size of less than 5 centimeters or more and they are grouped, or they may adhere to other structures.

In step 3B, the tumor can be any size and lymph nodes under the arm or chest wall near the sternum and / or skin of the chest, together or stick to other structures. In step 3C, it can still no sign of breast cancer. The tumor can be any size and proved to be the spread of the chest wall, lymph nodes above or below the collarbone, lymph nodes under the arm or the sternum.

Step 4.

Step 4 is described as one of the invasive stages of breast cancer where cancer has already spread to other organs of the body, usually the brain, lungs, liver or bones.