| When dealing with breast cancer, you need to look | | | | has happened: 1) The cancerous tumor grows to less |
| at the different stages so you can be better | | | | than one inch across and has spread to the lymph |
| prepared to face it head on. | | | | nodes under the arm, 2) The cancerous tumor has |
| Breast cancer often occurs in stages. Some cancers | | | | grown to be about one and two inches, but has not |
| spread slowly while others spread quickly. There are | | | | reached the lymph nodes as yet, but is leaning in that |
| cancers that are predictable in growth and there are | | | | direction, 3) The cancerous tumor is larger than 2 |
| those that spread unpredictably. The cancers that | | | | inches in diameter and has not moved. |
| are unpredictable are created by the use of estrogen | | | | Stage 3 |
| in the body. | | | | In stage 3, the cancerous tumor has grown to more |
| The stage itself will depend mainly on the size of the | | | | than two inches apart, and has reached and |
| tumor and if the cancer has spread or not. | | | | penetrated the lymph nodes of the underarms. In |
| Stage 0 | | | | some cases this type of cancer has been known to |
| Stage 0 refers to noninvasive carcinoma or | | | | spread to the lymph nodes near the breastbone, or |
| carcinoma in situ. With this stage the cells are | | | | other tissue near the breast. |
| abnormal in the lining of the lobule but are not | | | | Stage 4 |
| cancerous as yet. | | | | In stage 4, this is metastatic cancer. The cancer has |
| Stage 1 and 2 | | | | spread beyond the breast and lymph nodes to other |
| In stage 1, the tumor has become cancerous and has | | | | parts of the body. |
| grown to an inch in diameter, but has not spread | | | | Despite all misconceptions, breast cancer is dangerous |
| beyond the breast. With stage 2, one of three things | | | | but it can be cured if caught in time. |