Things You Should Know About Breast Cancer Stage

By Cinta Esty

early stage breast cancer

early stage breast cancer

Today, we are going to discuss breast cancer stage. The worse Breast cancer stage depends on the location of breast cancer itself.

In general, doctors often use some tests to determine the breast cancer stage of the patient. And of course the doctor can not decide the breast cancer stage without obtaining laboratory test results to the patient.

Let us say the doctor determined the breast cancer stage of the patient. The next step is determining the appropriate care and treatment to the patient.

Meanwhile, there are many methods used by the doctors to decide on what level of breast cancer stage the patient has. One of the methods is TNM system.

The TNM system uses 3 criteria in determining breast cancer stage:

  1. Depending on the large or small tumor itself and the location of tumor itself. (T = tumor)
  2. Is there a lymph gland in the tumor has spread around the tumor itself. (N = node)
  3. The extent to which the possibility distribution of tumor affect other organs?. (M = Metastasis)

The analysis of the TNM system in patients is follows:

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Stage 0 :

  • Not found in the primary tumor
  • The lack of a tumor affecting the distribution of nodes (Metastasis)
  • There is no dissemination to other body organs (Metastasis)

Stage I

  • There is a tumor which diameter 2 cm or less
  • There is no metastasis in regional lymph gland in the armpit/axillary
  • There is not much metastasis

Stage II A:

  • Not found in the primary tumor
  • Metastasis axillary lymph nodes can still be moved
  • There is not much metastasis

or

  • There is a tumor which diameter 2 cm or less
  • Found a tumor which diameter between 2-5 cm
  • There is no metastasis in regional lymph gland in the armpit/axillary
  • There is not much metastasis

or

  • Found between tumor size of 2-5 cm diameter
  • There is no Metastasis in regional lymph gland in the armpit / axillary
  • There is not much Metastasis

Stage II B :

  • There is a tumor which diameter 2-5 cm
  • Metastasis to axillary lymph nodes that can still be moved
  • There is not much metastasis

or

  • Locate the tumor size in diameter> 5 cm
  • There is no Metastasis in regional lymph gland in the armpit / axillary
  • The lack of spread of tumor to other organs

Stage III A :

  • Not found in the primary tumor
  • Metastasis to have difficult axillary lymph nodes driven
  • There is not much Metastasis

or

  • There are a tumor diameter measuring 2 cm or less
  • Metastasis to have difficult axillary lymph nodes driven
  • There is not much Metastasis

or

  • Found the size of tumor diameter > 5 cm
  • Metastasis to axillary lymph nodes that can still be moved
  • There is not much Metastasis

Stage III B :

  • There is a tumor’s size which already has the distribution to the skin or chest wall or both. It can be ulcer, edema, or swelling, skin redness or a breast lump in a small skin tumor outside the main
  • Metastasis to axillary lymph nodes that can still be moved
  • There is not much metastasis

Stage III C:

  • Clearly found the tumor
  • Metastasis to a node above the clavicle (supraclavicula) or on the  node in the mammary Internal near sternum bone
  • There is not much metastasis

Stage IV:

The tumor has spread to distant locations including: bones, lungs, liver, or rib. There is can be no metastasis in the organs.

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