Breast Cancer Stages...

August 21, 2024

Breast Cancer Stages Once you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, your physician will determine the stage of your cancer to help guide your treatment plan. The breast cancer staging system is overseen by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). To stage your cancer, your physician will look at the extent of the primary tumor, any spread to nearby lymph nodes, and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. They will also consider what the cancer cells look like, whether the cancer cells have receptors for the estrogen and progesterone hormones, and how much of the HER2 protein the cancer cells are producing. Stage 0 This describes non-invasive breast cancers that have not spread into the surrounding tissue from the milk duct or lobule they have started in. Stage I Invasive breast cancers in stage I have begun to spread to nearby tissue and are divided into two categories: • IA: The tumor measures 2 cm or smaller and has not spread outside of the breast. • IB: Groups of cancer cells 2 mm or smaller are found in the lymph nodes but not the breast, OR there is a tumor 2 cm or smaller in the breast with small groups of cancer cells found in the lymph nodes. Stage II Stage II breast cancers are divided into two categories: • IIA: No tumor is found in the breast, but groups of cancer cells larger than 2mm are found in 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes or lymph nodes near the breastbone, OR a tumor in the breast measuring under 2 cm has spread to the lymph nodes, OR a tumor in the breast measures between 2 cm and 5 cm and has not spread to the lymph nodes. • IIB: A tumor between 2 cm and 5 cm is in the breast and has spread to the lymph nodes, OR the tumor is larger than 5 cm but has not spread to the lymph nodes. The US Oncology Network is supported by McKesson Specialty Health. © 2024 McKesson Specialty Health. All rights reserved. Stage III Stage III breast cancers are divided into three categories: • IIIA: Cancer is not in the breast but is found in 4 to 9 axillary lymph nodes or lymph nodes near the breastbone, OR a tumor in the breast is larger than 5 cm with small groups of cancer cells in the lymph nodes, OR the tumor is larger than 5 cm and the cancer has spread to 1 to 3 axillary lymph nodes or the lymph nodes near the breastbone. • IIIB: The tumor is any size and has spread to the chest wall or skin of the breast and has spread to 9 or fewer axillary lymph nodes or the lymph nodes near the breastbone. This usually includes inflammatory breast cancers. • IIIC: There may be no tumor in the breast or the tumor may be any size and the cancer has spread to the chest wall and/or skin, OR it has spread to 10 or more axillary lymph nodes, the lymph nodes near the collarbone, or near the breastbone. Stage IV This describes all breast cancers that have spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to other parts of the body. These cancers are often called metastatic breast cancer.

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