Breast cancer forms in the breast tissues and commonly starts in the ducts or lobules of the breast, which are involved in the production and transport of milk. Once there is a definitive diagnosis of breast cancer, the cancer is then staged, from Stage 0 to Stage IV. Stage 0 breast cancers are non-invasive, and Stage IV breast cancers are the most serious. Staging helps guide your treatment and prognosis.
Stage III
Stage III breast cancer is also known as locally advanced breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. There are three sub-stages to this stage of breast cancer; Stage IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC. Stage IIIA breast cancer is diagnosed when the tumor is no more than five centimeters and has spread to lymph nodes under the arm, or nodes behind the breastbone or the tumor is more than five centimeters. For Stage IIIB breast cancer, the tumor can be any size and has grown into the chest wall or skin of the breast and has spread to underarm lymph nodes or lymph nodes that are behind the breastbone. Stage IIIC involves a tumor of any size and has spread to lymph nodes both under the arm and behind the breastbone or the lymph nodes above or below the collarbone. The overall five-year survival rate for Stage III breast cancer is 57 percent.
Stage IV
Stage IV breast cancer is also called metastatic breast cancer. In Stage IV, the cancer has spread to distant organs. The most common places for breast cancer to metastasize include the bones, brain, liver and lung, according to the American Cancer Society. When breast cancer spreads, it is still breast cancer; it is just in another part of the body. The five year survival rate for Stage IV breast cancer is 20 percent.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer, or IBC, is automatically staged as either Stage IIIB, IIIC or IV. In IBC, cancer has spread to the skin of the breast, causing inflammation, redness and warmth. There may not be a palpable lump with IBC and the skin of the breast may be pitted and rough, similar to the peel of an orange; this is also called peau d'orange.
