Breast Cancer Stages

Stage 0

Stage 0 Is also called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). At this stage cancer cells are present in either a duct or in the lining of the breast lobule. At this stage the cancer cells have not spread to the surrounding fatty tissue.

Stage 1

At Stage 1, Cancer cells have spread to nearby tissue in the breast. Breast cancer at this stage is considered invasive and tumors are 2 cm or less in diameter. Breast cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes at this stage..

Stage 2

The size of the cancer tumor in Stage 2 is larger than in Stage 1 with a size ranging from 2 cm to 5 cm (about 1 - 2 inches in diameter). At stage 2 the cancer may have also spread to the lymph nodes.

Stage 3 (A & B)

A

Tumor sizes in Stage 3A are 5 cm or greater in diameter (more than 2 inches). Alternatively, Stage 3A may have tumors of any size if the cancer cells have grown into the axillary lymph nodes extensiviely. (The axillary lymph nodes are in the underarm.)

B

Stage 3B is referred to as locally advanced cancer and tumors may be any size. The distinguishing aspect is that the tumor has spread into tissues of the chest wall or into the skin of the breast.

Stage 4

Stage 4 Breast Cancer is known as metastic cancer. Breast cancer is considered to be in Stage 4 when it has spread to other parts of the body from the breast.

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Recurrence of Breast Cancer

Recurrence is the return of cancer after initial treatment. There are three types of Breast Cancer Recurrence, regional recurrence, distant recurrence, and local recurrence.

• Regional Breast Cancer Recurrence
  • When cancer recurrs in regional lymph nodes near the affected breast such as those found under the arm, in the chest wall or in the neck, it is called regional recurrence.
• Distant Breast Cancer Recurrence
  • Distant recurrence, which is also called metastic breast cancer, can occur elsewhere in the body in other organs or tissue including but not limited to the brain, lungs, bones or liver.
• Local Breast Cancer Recurrence
  • This type of recurrence occurs in the skin and underlying tissues where the breast used to be (even if you have had a mastectomy). Local recurrence may also occur in the breast where the cancer first started.

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Hormonal Impact on Breast Cancer

The cells or organs in your body produce hormones. Estrogen is one type of hormone produced by the body that can affect the processes of the body. Estrogen and progesterone are received by normal breast cell receptors.

Breast cancer tumors also have these receptors and some of tumors need these hormones to grow. These types of tumors that have these receptors and need estrogen or progesterone are called receptor positive. Tumors for breast cancer are estrogen and progesterone receptor positive for approximately 60% of postmenopausal women. This information can be determine through lab tests.

These receptors are just a small part of a cell. When estrogen is present with an estrogen receptor it will then attach and make the tumor grow larger. It is a fallacy to believe that estrogen causes breast cancer, but it may promote the growth of existing tumors.

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Advanced Breast Cancer Treatment Options

Women with advanced metastic breast cancer have several treatment options available today.  These treatments can be aimed at lengthening life with a consideration for the balance and fullness of life.

To determine the treatments that will work for you, you and your physician should evaluate the risks and benefits of options from a qualified medical team covering the cancer treatments from the initial treatments to follow-up care and treatments.  This should be balanced with your medical condition and your goals and lifestyle as much as possible.

Here are some of the general therapies available for women with metastic breast cancer:

• Hormonal Treatments -
  • Women with advanced breast cancer may already have been given hormonal treatments after their initial surgery. Hormonal treatments are used to slow and reduce the growth of tumors.
  • If the breast cancer is of the type that is susceptible to estrogen, hormonal treatments may be able to prevent the estrogen from helping cancer cells from dividing and growing.
  • Your doctor can perform a test to determine the estrogen receptor status of your cancer. The presence of estrogen receptors can then be used to predict a woman's response to hormonal treatments for advanced breast cancer.
  • Multiple options are available for postmenopausal women with metastic breast cancer that include treatmens in pill form and injections.
  • For more information on hormonal treatments or for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive metastic breast cancer whose metastic breast cancer has recurred or advanced following antiestrogen therapy with tamoxifin Get a Free Guide about a Hormonal Therapy for Metastatic Breast Cancer to learn about additional hormonal therapies available.
• Chemotherapy -
  • If your physician or medical team believe that breast cancer will not respond to Hormonal Treatment, they may recommend chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs that destroy rapidly dividing cells. The goal of chemotherapy is to shrink the breast cancer tumor.
• Biologically Targeted Therapy -
  • Biologically Targeted Therapy covers a wide range of very specialized treatments. Many of these treatments are only available via clinical trials. They are being designed to have a smaller impact on normal cells. These therapies are usually only used in specific biological situations.
• Radiation Therapy -
  • When breast cancer has spread to the bone, radiation is commonly used. It is less common but radiation therapy may be used in other treatments. High energy waves / particles are used to penetrate and kill or retard the growth of cancer cells.
• Surgery -
  • Advanced Metastic Breast Cancer is not normally treated with surgery. Surgery can be used for local recurrence and can provide information for diagnostic purposes with the removal of tissue from the breast or lymph nodes.

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Surviving Breast Cancer Emotionally & Other Life Balancing Tips

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