1. Staging Detects Breast Cancer Prognosis
An X-ray, a mammogram, a bone scan, an MRI or a CT scan are required during the staging process for breast cancer. Oncologists can determine how far the tumor has spread. Following these tests, a TNM staging system is set to classify the cancer based on the size of the tumor (T), whether it has spread to the lymph nodes near the breasts (N), and whether it has metastasized, or spread to the body's organs (M).
2. Stage Grouping Gives Further Information
Doctors decide on the appropriate treatment plan based on the information they compile about the tumor, lymph nodes and metastasis. They then create the stage grouping process to provide further information, which utilizes roman numerals ranging from stage 0 for non-invasive breast cancer to stage IV for the most aggressive form. Surgery is a common type of breast cancer treatment, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
3. Early Detection Saves Lives
Patients with stage 0 breast cancer have abnormal cells that line the breast duct. This stage is benign because the tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. At stage I, the breast tumor is also operable since it is only 2 cm and has not spread. Stage IIA is a tumor that is 2 to 5 cm, and it may or may not spread to the lymph nodes. If you're at Stage IIB, the tumor may grow larger than 5 cm, or 2 inches across, but it doesn't spread to the chest wall, lymph nodes or skin. With early detection and treatment, breast cancer patients in stages 0 and I have a 100 percent chance of surviving at least five years after diagnosis, according to the American Cancer Society. At stages IIA and IIB, there is a survival rate of between 81 and 92 percent. However, the survival rates may also depend on the person's age and overall health.
4. Metastasis Occurs in Later Stages
Stage IIIA is locally advanced, meaning that the tumor, regardless of size, has metastasized to the underarm lymph nodes. At Stage IIIB, the tumor has grown into the chest wall or skin, which causes breast swelling or lumps in the skin area of the breast. Inflammatory breast cancer is diagnosed at Stage IIIB, which causes the breast to look red and swollen because the cancer blocks the lymph vessels in the skin. If the cancer spreads to the lymph nodes behind the breast bone, or above and below the collarbone, then it is classified as Stage IIIC. Once treated, the survival rates for Stage III falls between 54 to 67 percent.
5. Act Before It's Too Late
Stage IV is the advanced stage, which is usually inoperable and terminal. The tumor advances to other organs of the body, such as the liver, bones, lungs or brain. There is only a 20 percent chance of survival during this stage.
