| Over 90 percent of breast cancer cases are | | | | Lymph nodes are an effective way to predict the |
| diagnosed during the earlier stages of the disease. | | | | effects of breast cancer. Essentially, the more |
| Early spotting is beneficial for the patient as it | | | | positive lymph nodes that are present, the lower the |
| typically means better treatment and a stronger | | | | patient's survival rate and the higher the chances of |
| prognosis. | | | | relapse. |
| Nonetheless, early diagnosis is only a fraction of the | | | | Typically, patients with early stage breast cancer are |
| whole medical picture. Other disease characteristics, | | | | grouped into either those having negative nodes, 1 to |
| like hormone receptors and lymph nodes, can aid in | | | | 3 positive ones, 4 to 9, or 10 and higher. |
| prognosis results and help doctors and patients | | | | The Size of Tumor |
| choose the right treatment. | | | | Tumor size is another indicator and can be especially |
| Though breast cancer rates are increasing in North | | | | useful for patients with negative lymph nodes. |
| America and the United Kingdom, the fatality rate is | | | | Essentially, if a patient has negative nodes and a |
| falling. This declining death rate is accredited to more | | | | tumor that is less than 1cm, the prognosis is very |
| women getting mammograms, better evaluation | | | | favorable. |
| processes, and more potent secondary treatments. | | | | The Grade of Tumor |
| Thus if the majority of diagnosed breast cancer | | | | As the grade of the tumor increases, so does the |
| cases are discovered during the preliminary stages, | | | | potential relapse rate. However, due to the |
| what effect does that have on patients and what | | | | unreliability of tumor data, most pathologists do not |
| are the best treatment courses? | | | | rely on this information for their prognosis. |
| An Overview of the Earlier Symptoms of this | | | | Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors |
| Disease | | | | The status of hormone receptors in the tumor is |
| Earlier breast cancer stages are called TNM stages 1, | | | | another indicator used by doctors when prognosing |
| 2 and 3a. This scoring system approximates how far | | | | early stage breast cancer. Typically, patients who |
| the carcinoma has advanced. It's also based on | | | | experience a receptor-positive cancer have a |
| whether any present tumors are operable. | | | | stronger survival rate than those who do not. |
| The majority of early breast cancer cases are cured | | | | HER2/neu |
| through either surgery, radiation therapy, systemic | | | | HER2/neu is what's called a marker - it's a biological |
| therapy or a combination of the three, resulting in a | | | | element typically present in the body or within the |
| much greater survival rate. | | | | tumor in about 25% of all breast cancer cases. When |
| Normal Treatment Reactions | | | | HER2/neu levels are high, that usually translates to a |
| Treatment reaction generally hinges on lymph node | | | | more aggressive variety of breast cancer and a |
| engagement, the size and grade of any tumors, the | | | | worse prognosis. |
| age of the patient, hormone (estrogen and | | | | Age of the Patient |
| progesterone) receptors, and the status or condition | | | | Generally, patients who are older (50 and up) have a |
| of biologic markers like HER2/neu. | | | | better prognosis than patients under the age of 35. |
| Lymph Node Indicators | | | | |