Breast cancer consists of four stages, with stage one being the most survivable and four being incurable and least survivable. Since the 1980s, the mortality rate from breast cancer continues to decline. Survival rates are based on averages of all breast cancer patients. Typically the higher the stage, the lower the survival rate. However, multiple factors also affect prognosis and survival time in breast cancer patients.
Stage Zero and Stage One
Stage zero breast cancer, sometimes called breast cancer in situ, Imaginis.com describes stage one breast cancer as consisting of a tumor two centimeters or less. The stage one tumor also does not spread to the lymph nodes or anywhere else in the body. Five-year survival rates for stage one breast cancer are nearly 100 percent.
Stage Two
Stage two breast cancer tumors fit into two categories, according to "Core Curriculum of Oncology Nursing." A stage two tumor measures under five centimeters with spread to the surrounding lymph nodes or measures over five centimeters and does not extend to lymph nodes. Five-year survival rates for stage two breast cancer range from 81 to 92 percent. Often, the larger the tumor becomes and the further the cancer has spread, the poorer the prognosis.
Stage Three
According to Imaginis.com, stage three breast cancer five-year survival ranges from 54 to 67 percent. Stage three also splits into two categories, the reason for the range in survival rates. Breast cancer tumors at stage three may be larger or smaller than five centimeters and have spread to surrounding lymph nodes, or may be any size with growth into surrounding tissues such as the chest wall or skin. The size and the amount the cancer has spread are important factors in prognosis.
Stage Four
Stage four breast cancer describes cancer cells that have spread to distant areas in the body. This stage of cancer remains incurable and the goal becomes long-term survival and preserving quality of life. Common places breast cancer spreads include the brain, bones and liver. Five-year survival with stage four breast cancer averages about 20 percent. Many factors also affect prognosis of stage four breast cancer, including the area to which the cancer has spread and the speed at which the cancer grows.
Other Factors Affecting Prognosis
Although averages are used to describe survival time for breast cancer patients as a whole, multiple other factors affect the prognosis of the individual. The National Cancer Institute lists factors effecting prognosis to include the type of breast cancer, how mutated the cancer cells become, how the cancer responds to treatment, genetics, age, and race. Also of importance is whether the breast cancer grows with the hormones progesterone and estrogen. These estrogen or progesterone positive tumors respond better to treatment than those that are negative.
References
- National Cancer Institute: Seer Statistics of Breast Cancer
- Imaginis: Staging and Survival of Breast Cancer
- "Core Cirriculum for Oncology Nursing"; Itano, J. Ph.D., Taoka, K. MSN; 2005
