After diagnosing breast cancer you should expect a series of investigations to detect if cancer cells have spread within the mammary gland or in other parts of the body. The process which determines if the tumor has spread within the mammary gland or in other parts of the body is called breast cancer staging.



The information obtained following completion of the process will determine the stage of the disease. Knowing the stage of your condition is very important so that you will be able to institute appropriate therapy. This is why we will present a few of the characteristics of every stage.

The first stage is Stage 0 (carcinoma in situ). There are two types of carcinoma in situ ductal carcinoma in situ and lobular carcinoma in situ. Ductal carcinoma in situ is a non-invasive tumor, a precancerous stage in which the proliferation of modified cells lining the superficial layer of the mammary gland.

These modified cells will not spread to the other tissues of the breast. Lobular carcinoma in situ is the stage of the tumor in which cells begin to change in the mammary gland. In rare cases, lobular carcinoma in situ may become an invasive tumor. Stage I is the stage in which the tumor is about 2 centimeters or smaller and does not spread outside the breast. In Stage IIA a tumor is detected in the mammary gland or in the axillary lymph nodes (lymph nodes under the arm).

The tumor can be 2 centimeters or smaller and already spread to the axillary lymph nodes or greater than 2 centimeters but not more than 5 centimeters which has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes. In stage IIB, mammary gland tumor can be more than 2 inches but not longer than 5 centimeters or more than 5 centimeters and in both cases the tumor has spread to the axillary lymph nodes. In stage IIIA the tumor is found in breast, it is detected in the axillary lymph nodes as conglomerate masses, attached to each other or are attached to other structures.

The tumor can also be 5 centimeters or smaller and has probably spread to the lymph nodes are a conglomerate mass. In a more advanced stage, stage IIIB, the tumor can be any size and in this stage the cancer has already spread to the tissues near the breast (skin or chest wall including the ribs and muscle tissue of the chest). It can also spread to the lymph nodes within the breast or under arm. In stage IIIC, the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes near the neck and it can also spread to the lymph nodes within the mammary gland or in the armpit.

In operable stage IIIC, the tumor can be found in the lymph nodes near or in the breasts, while in inoperable stage IIIC, is detected within the lymph nodes and around the neck on the same side as the affected breast. Obviously the last stage is the most serious and dangerous - in stage IV, the tumor spreads to other parts of the body, most often bone, lung, liver or brain. The disease in this stage cannot be treated.

As you know, breast cancer is a complex dangerous disease which untreated can lead to the aggressive death of the patient. If detected in time, it can be treated and cured. Therefore it is important to know the breast cancer staging and how advanced your cancer is. Information about each stage separately and appropriate treatment options is essentially for choosing the right course of action for you.