Breast Cancer Staging
| The lymphatic system is a network of tubing, like blood vessels, that transports a fluid called lymph. Its function is to remove fluid from between cells and return it to the circulation, transport fats and fatty acids to the circulatory system, and carry certain types of cells. It is closely associated with the immune system. Lymph nodes are an organized collection of lymphoid tissue. Lymph nodes can trap cells and may destroy them. If abnormal cells are sequestered but not destroyed by the lymph system, the lymph nodes may become enlarged, and the lymphatics may carry cancerous cells to other parts of the body in the process called metastasis. The lymph nodes drain specific parts of the body; the axillary lymph nodes, or nodes in the armpit, are responsible for draining the tissue of the breasts, and are the most likely to become involved in the spread of breast cancer from its original site. |
| Stage 0 Stage 0 is non-invasive breast cancer, such as ductal cancinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinom in situ (LCIS). Abnormal cells exist, but there is no evidence of cancer cells or non- cancerous abnormal cells breaking out of the location in which they started. There is no evidence of invasion. Stage 1 Stage I describes early invasive breast cancer. Cancer cells are present and crowding into normal tissue in an invasive way. The tumor measures less than or equal to 2 centimeters, and there are no lymph nodes involved. Stage II Stage IIA:
Stage IIB:
. Stage IIIA:
Stage IIIB:
Stage IV The cancer has spread to other organs of the body -- usually the lungs, liver, bone, or brain "Metastatic at presentation" means that the breast cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes, even though this is the first diagnosis of breast cancer. The reason for this is that the primary breast cancer was not found when it was only inside the breast. Metastatic cancer is considered stage IV. |
| Staging of Breast Cancer |
| Brenda L. Kehoe, M.D. |
| Stages of Breast Cancer Cancer is a disease process where a group of cells experiences uncontrolled growth. Instead of stopping at its normal borders, a group of cells may become aggressive and act in an abnormal way, pushing into healthy cells and replacing or destroying them. Tumor means “a mass”, but does not describe whether a group of cells will act in a benign way (stay in one place) or in a malignant way (crowd out or destroy normal cells, travel to other tissues, etc.). “Neoplasm” means literally “new growth”, and also does not describe how a group of cells will act. It can be benign or malignant. Once a tumor is identified, for instance a breast lump is felt, or an abnormal cluster on a mammogram is seen, it must be measured in some way to determine if it is benign or malignant. Tools to determine that are evolving rapidly. The only way currently to truly determine behavior is to sample tissue or perform a biopsy. Mammograms, breast ultrasounds and MRI all ead the way, but the final diagnosis is dependent on tissue sampling. If a diagnosis of cancer is made, the next step is to “stage” it. Cancer staging is a method used to determine how extensive or contained a cancer is, what its likely outcome might be or how aggressive it might be, and to determine how to approach treatment to get the best possible results with the least possible side-effects. Cancer staging also allows all of the people involved in the care of a patient to speak the same language in the management of the disease and to have the same basic understanding of its behavior. Cancer stage is based on the size of the tumor, whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive, whether lymph nodes are involved, and whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast. |