The stages of breast cancer and the corresponding treatments - The breast cancer is a disease of aggressive multifactorial etiology, which untreated can kill the patient; if it is diagnosed early, the disease can be treated and cured. That is why it is so important to know what stage is your cancer. You will find below information about each stage separately and the treatment options.

Through cancer stages I-IV is understanding what is the tumor size (from T1 to T4) and if there exists axillary nodes, mobile or fixed. According to the international classification of the tumors UICC, in breast cancer can be distinguished:

Stage I
At this stage, the breast cancer is less or equal than 2 cm, without the axillary lymph loss and without remote release.
Stage II
At this stage the tumor may be higher–about 5 cm. The nodes can be palpable, mobile or fixed, and also without being spread throughout the body.

Stage III
At this stage tumors exceed 5 cm (T3). Sometimes it may be seen a wound at the skin, an ulcer or mercy (T4). The tumor has spread to the axial lymph nodes that are fixed (N2) without remote release (Mo).
Stage IV
At this stage the cancer has spread to other parts of the body and bone metastases, lung, liver or brain may be present (any T, any N, any M1).

Depending on these stages, the doctors will determine the treatment that must be followed. According to specialists, the breast cancer therapy, depends of others factors such as: the general health of the patient; age; premenopausal or postmenopausal status; hematology parameters; histopathology test or biopsy of T, N, or M; associated diseases, renal or liver.

Treatment of breast cancer depending on stage
According to specialists, in stage I, when the disease is localized, the surgery is performed; the surgical therapy is followed by radiotherapy and immunohistochemical examination: the presence or absence of hormone receptors (ER = estrogen receptor, PGR = progesterone receptor, HER2, PCNA, etc).

The hormone therapy and/or chemotherapy may be recommended in certain situations in stage I, according to laboratory tests results. Chemotherapy is recommended if the tumor had invaded the axillary nodes.

The hormone therapy is recommended when is determined that the tumor has estrogen receptors and/or progesteron positive, and it involves: to the premenopausal patients–ovarian inhibition (radiation or medical surgery, with LHRH analysis) and treatment with tamoxifen for 5 years; to the postmenopausal patients–treatment with tamoxifen and/or aromatized inhibitors.

In stage II surgery is present and it may be made a mastectomy followed by radiotherapy. This not only reduces the chance of disease recurrence but it may increase the possibility of healing. Chemotherapy may be recommended if the disease has spread to lymph nodes. In unresectable stage III it begins with 3 to 4 series of chemotherapy sessions. If the answer to this is positive, it is 1 year postoperative then surgery followed by radiotherapy.

According to experts, in metastasis stage IV, the treatment may include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormones with receptors treatment. The hormonal treatment is different not only depending on stage of disease but also of the cycle. Female hormones may affect the cancer growth cells and anti-estrogen hormonal treatment is to prevent this.

In premenopausal women it is performed ovarian inhibition (stop the ovarian function). This is achieved either surgically or by irradiation sessions or by drugs. The medical ovarian inhibition is 20-40% reversible when treatment stops. The hormone receptors are detected by immunohistochemical examination and they are present in over 80% of cases.