Why it is necessary to understand stages of breast cancer?

A breast cancer stage describes the extent of cancer and knowing of the stage of breast cancer can help to plan the treatment. Breast cancer stages is an important factor for prognosis.

In today’s risky world of fatal diseases, breast cancer is one of them. Every year thousands of women are diagnosed with breast cancer, so it is necessary to understand the breast cancer and their different stages.

Breast cancer stages

Breast cancer stages range from 0 to 4 based on how severe it is. Stages of breast cancer depend on the type of cancer, size of tumor and nature of lymph node.

Breast cancer has five main stages: stages 0–4.

Stage 0 breast cancer

A Cancer cell remains confined to the ducts in the breast and does not spread into nearby tissue.

Stage 1 breast cancer

Stage 1A:

The primary tumor is 2 centimeters wide or less and the lymph nodes are not affected.

Stage 1B:

Cancer is found in nearby lymph nodes

Treatment is possible at this stage.

Stage 2 breast cancer

Stage 2A:

The tumor is smaller than 2 centimeters and has spread to 1–3 nearby lymph nodes and hasn’t spread to any lymph nodes.

Stage 2B:

The tumor is between 2 and 5 centimeters and spread to lymph nodes.

Stage 3 breast cancer

Advance level of cancer. Stages of cancer depend on the size of a tumor.

Stage 3A:

cancer has spread to lymph nodes or has enlarged the internal mammary lymph nodes.

If tumor size is less than 2 cm then 4 to 9 lymph nodes affected.

The tumor is bigger than 5 cm then the cluster of cancer cells in lymph nodes.

Stage 3B: 

A tumor has invaded the chest wall or skin and may or may not have invaded up to 9 lymph nodes.

Cancer cells can spread to the chest wall, breast skin and lymph nodes.

Stage 3C:

Cancer cells are found in 10 or more axillary lymph nodes, lymph nodes near the collarbone, underarm and breastbone.

Stage 4 breast cancer

Stage 4 breast cancer can have a tumor of any size, and its cancer cells have spread to nearby and distant lymph nodes, as well as distant organs like brain, bone, liver, and lungs.

Stage 4 breast cancer mostly incurable.