| Staging categories are important for predicting future | | | | nodes. In stage 2B, the invasive cancer is between |
| prognosis, and determine optimal treatment | | | | 2cm and up to 5 cm and has spread to nodes. Here, |
| recommendations. | | | | cancer may measure even larger than 5 cm if it has |
| Bone Cancer Treatment Australia | | | | not spread to nodes. |
| Stage 0 is DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in situ. Breast | | | | Lung Cancer Secrets Revealed Click here |
| cancer arises from the cells that line the milk ducts. | | | | Stage 3 includes invasive cancer larger than 5 cm that |
| When the cancerous cells are still contained inside the | | | | has spread to lymph nodes. Also, cancer of any size |
| duct, it is diagnosed as DCIS. This can only be | | | | that heavily involves the axillary lymph nodes to the |
| determined by a pathologist doctor looking at the | | | | point that these nodes are bulky and stuck together |
| tissue under a microscope. In general, when the DCIS | | | | or stuck to other structures in the axilla (armpit) are |
| lesion is small, there is no need to suspect cancer | | | | in this stage. Tumor spread to lymph nodes either |
| spread outside the breast. | | | | above or below the clavicle bone, or to nodes |
| Stage 1 is invasive or infiltrating cancer. Here, the | | | | underneath the sternum (breast bone), also falls into |
| cancer cells have broken through the duct wall and | | | | this category. Furthermore, if the cancer of any size |
| are found outside the ducts as well. In this case, | | | | is attached to the chest wall (pectoralis muscle and |
| doctors need to determine whether the cancer has | | | | or ribs), it qualifies as stage 3. Inflammatory cancer, |
| spread to the lymph nodes. Stage 1 breast cancer | | | | where the skin of the breast is red and swollen, is |
| must be equal or smaller than 2 cm in its invasive | | | | classified in this stage, regardless of size. |
| component, AND have no spread to lymph nodes. | | | | Stage 4 is invasive cancer found outside the breast |
| Often, the tissue removed at surgery contain DCIS in | | | | and axillary lymph nodes, or "metastatic" to distant |
| addition to the invasive cancer. However, only the | | | | sites. At this stage, it does not matter how large the |
| dimensions of the invasive cancer count. If the | | | | primary cancer in the breast is. Nor does it matter |
| patient needs to have multiple surgeries and the | | | | whether axillary/clavicle/breast bone lymph nodes |
| invasive cancer is found at more than one operation, | | | | have cancer or not. The most common sites for |
| usually the dimensions are added together to arrive | | | | metastasis for breast cancer are bone and liver, |
| at the final size. | | | | followed by lungs and brain. Standard testing include |
| Stage 2 has two subcategories. In stage 2A, the | | | | bone scan and CT scan of the chest, abdomen and |
| invasive cancer can be 2 cm or less and has spread | | | | pelvis. More recently, PET scan is often done to look |
| to axillary (armpit) lymph node(s), i.e. positive node(s). | | | | for cancer spread. Sometimes, a brain MRI or CT is |
| Also, the invasive cancer can be as large as 5 cm, | | | | also useful. |
| but has not spread to lymph nodes, i.e. negative | | | | |