There are more than 100 types and subtypes of breast tumors, according to the World Health Organization. Invasive or infiltrating breast cancer is diagnosed when cancer cells that originate in the milk ducts or lobes invade healthy surrounding tissue.
Invasive breast cancer has the potential to travel to other parts of the body through the bloodstream and lymph system. The two most common types of breast cancer are ductal carcinoma, which makes up almost 90 percent of cases and lobular carcinoma.
Breast Cancer Prognosis is Correlated to the Cancer Stage
Breast cancer stages are related to treatment options and survival rates. The initial stages have fewer complications in treatment and better survival rates. For this reason early detection and diagnosis is very important. Doctors stress the need for at-home breast examinations and regular mammograms because early stage breast cancer is typically much easier to treat than later stages.
The cancer staging method most widely used in medicine is called the TNM system. This system involves measuring the tumor size (T) in a mammogram or after removal, assessing whether the lymph nodes (N) are swollen or contain cancer cells and whether metastasis (M) - cancer spreading to other nodes in the body - has occurred.
Tumor Size and Metastasis is Used to Classify the Cancer
The TNM system determines whether the breast cancer falls within four broad stages, which include stage 0, stage I, stage II, stage III and stage IV. Some of these these stages are further divided into substages. In stage 0, there is no evidence of a tumor in the breast and no metastasis in the nodes or elsewhere.
Stage I involves a tumor that is less than 2 centimeters in diameter, the nodes in the axilla or underarms may contain tumor cells but are not connected to the chest wall or each other and there is distant metastasis. In stage II breast cancer the the tumor is two to five centimeters, while stages III and IV consist of tumors that are larger than five centimeters. Inflammatory breast carcinoma is also considered to be at stage IV.
The five-year survival rates for individuals with breast cancer are closely linked to the stage of the cancer. In most cases, there is an estimated 99 to 100 percent survival rate for stage 0, 95 to 100 percent rate for stage I, 86 percent for stage II, 57 percent for stage III, and only 20 percent for stage IV breast cancer.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
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References:
National Institute of Health
World Health Organization
Noreen Kassem - Noreen Kassem is a hospital doctor based in London, UK. She has extensive experience in clinical research and an undergraduate honors ...
