Receiving a cancer diagnosis can seem to change everything — your
body, your mind, your daily routine. But it’s where you receive
treatment, that changes everything. That's why we focus on state-of-the-art
cancer care right here at home, where you’re surrounded by your
family and treated like a part of ours.
Most cancers have four stages, but breast cancer actually has five –
stage zero through stage four -- and they’re represented with Roman numerals.
Stage 0: Abnormal cells are present, but they haven’t spread to surrounding
tissue. This stage includes carcinoma in situ (CIS), which may
become cancer.
Stage I: Tumor cells have spread to surrounding breast tissue but are still contained
to a small area. Often called “early stage,” this stage is
divided into IA and IB based on the size of the tumor and where it’s located.
Stage II: Cancer has grown larger but is still in a limited region. This stage
is often called “localized” because some lymph nodes may be
involved, usually those around the armpit. It’s also separated into
an A and B category.
Stage III: Cancer has spread further into the breast, or the tumor has grown larger.
Often called “regional” as more lymph nodes are involved,
this stage has three subcategories – A, B and C. In the latter two,
cancer may have spread to the skin and lymph nodes near the breastbone
or collarbone.
Stage IV: Cancer has spread to other parts of the body, possibly the lungs, liver,
bones or brain. It may be called “distant spread,” as well
as advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
Typically, your doctor will tell you what stage your cancer is after a
physical exam and the initial report from a mammogram or other diagnostic
test, like an ultrasound. (there’s a chance the stage may be adjusted
after a breast biopsy – which is when a sample of breast tissues
is removed – or after you have surgery, if needed.)
A term you might hear when discussing a diagnosis and stages is T-N-M:
The “T” stands for tumor size
The “N” refers to the number of nearby lymph nodes with cancer
The “M” notes whether the cancer has metastasized, or spread
beyond the breast
Receptor status (ER, PR and Her2Neu), Grade and Oncotyping are also used
to determine staging.
If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, it’s
likely an overwhelming feeling between the medical terms and doctor appointments.
Treatment Options
Local Treatments
Some treatments are
local, meaning treatment will be directed at the tumor and will not affect the
rest of the body.
Most breast cancer will require some type of surgery to remove the tumor.
Depending on the type of breast cancer and how advanced the it is, you
might also need additional treatments like radiation either before or
after surgery, or sometimes both.
Surgery
Click here to learn more about surgery treatment for cancer.
Drugs used to treat breast cancer are considered
systemic therapies because they can reach cancer cells almost anywhere in the body. They
can be given by mouth or put directly into the bloodstream. Depending
on the type of breast cancer, different types of drug treatment might
be used, including:
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