New Health Guide
Breast cancer is a common type of cancer found in women that has a number of stages depending on the size of the tumor and the spreading of the cancer. Each stage of breast cancer has its own distinguishing signs and symptoms and each of them can be diagnosed through the use of a number of different imaging tests and examinations. Pictures for breast cancer in different stages also vary.
The Stage 0 breast cancer also known as carcinoma in situ is basically of two types.
In Ductal Carcinoma in situ the lining of the ducts which are present in between the lubes and the nipple develop abnormal cells. These cells however, remain inside the ducts and do not spread to other parts of the breast at this stage.
In Lobular Carcinoma in situ the lobules of the breast responsible for the production of milk develop abnormal cells. The presence of LCIS in any of the two breasts increases the risk of development of breast cancer of an invasive type in either breast.
There can be two cases in Stage I breast cancer. In the first case, the tumor is not more than 2 cm in size and is located inside the breast. In the second case, the tumor is accompanied with clusters of cancerous cells in the lymph nodes present near the breast.
The Stage II breast cancer also has two sub stages of its own.
The tumor is either 2 cm or 5 cm in diameter and the cancer may or may not have spread to at least 3 lymph nodes present near the breastbone.
Stage IIB
The tumor is either 2cm or 5cm in size and is accompanied with clusters of breast cancer cells present in the lymph nodes. The cancer may or may not have spread to at least 3 lymph nodes present near the breastbone at this stage.
The stage III breast cancer can be classified in to three different types.
The tumor is larger than 5 cm in size and has started affecting around 4 to 9 lymph nodes and might have clusters of cancerous cells present in the lymph nodes.
The cancer might have spread to the skin and would have resulted in an ulcer. As many as 9 axillary lymph nodes would be affected by the cancer at this stage.
The cancer would have started affecting as many as 10 axillary lymph nodes that may be present near the breastbone or the collarbone.
The cancer has progressed and has infiltrated to the other parts of the body including the brain, liver and lungs.
Notes: All of the above information has been taken from National Cancer Institute.
