Staging of Breast Cancer

There are 4 stages in breast cancer. These are:

• Stage 0: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). This stage indicates that cancer is in the formation phase. It has not spread to surrounding tissues and is limited to the area where it began.
• Stage 1: This is the early stage of invasive breast cancer. In stage 1, the tumor is not larger than 2 cm and cancer cells have not spread beyond the breast to other areas (such as lymph nodes).
• Stage 2:

Evre 2A'da

Memede tümör yoktur, ancak koltuk altındaki lenf bezleri kanser vardır; veya

• tümör 2 cm veya daha küçüktür ve koltuk altındaki lenf bezlerine yayılmıştır; veya
• tümör 2 cm'den büyük, 5 cm'den küçüktür ve koltuk altı lenf bezlerine yayılmamıştır.

Stage 2B

The tumor is larger than 2 cm but smaller than 5 cm and has spread to the underarm lymph nodes; or
the tumor is larger than 5 cm but has not spread to the underarm lymph nodes.

Stage 3A

• There is no tumor in the breast, but there is cancer in the underarm lymph nodes (axillary lymph nodes) that is sticking to each other or to surrounding tissues; or
• the tumor is 5 cm or smaller and has spread to surrounding tissues or to axillary lymph nodes that are sticking to each other; or
• the tumor is larger than 5 cm and has spread to the underarm lymph nodes (which may be sticking to each other or surrounding tissues).

Stage 3B

• The tumor can be of any size and has spread to adjacent tissues of the breast (skin or chest wall, ribs, or muscles in the chest wall) and may have spread to the lymph nodes within the breast or under the arm.

Stage 3C

Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes below the collarbone and along the neighboring neck and may have spread to the lymph nodes under the arm and to the tissues adjacent to the breast.

Stage 3C is divided into resectable and unresectable categories.

In resectable Stage 3C breast cancer:

• There is involvement in 10 or more lymph nodes under the arm, or
• There is spread to the lymph nodes below the collarbone on the same side as the tumor in the breast and to neighboring neck lymph nodes, or
• There is spread to the lymph nodes within the breast and to the lymph nodes under the arm.

In unresectable Stage 3C breast cancer:

• The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes above the collarbone and there is involvement in lymph nodes in the neighboring neck region on the same side as the tumor in the breast.

Stage

This stage indicates distant metastatic cancer. The cancer has spread to other parts of the body. The goal in treating this stage is to increase the patient’s lifespan and maintain a high quality of life.

Recurrent Cancer

This refers to cancer that reoccurs after treatment. The cancer may recur locally (in the breast or chest wall) or in any other area of the body (such as bone, liver, or lungs).