Stages Of Breast Cancer Explained In Detail
Breast cancer is one of the diseases and health conditions that have threatened women’s lives for centuries. Unfortunately, getting breast cancer treatment Newport Beach-based can be challenging if you let it get to its advanced stages. Therefore, this piece will be a resource to help you understand the stages of this deadly illness.
Stage 0
At this phase, it is hard to detect any cancerous cells on the part of the breast that they started. Additionally, non-cancerous but abnormal cells are hard to identify, too. In stage 0, your doctor cannot tell whether cancerous and non-cancerous abnormal cells have begun invading neighboring tissues.
Stage I
This phase is further divided into stages IA and IB. In IA, a tumor in the breast can measure up to 2cm. Nonetheless, cancer has not spread outside the affected breast. In IB, there are small cell groups instead of a tumor. The other scenario described by this sub-phase is a tumor in the breast measuring less than 2cm and small cell groups.
Stage II
The subdivisions here are IIA and IIB. Your case will be described as IIA if:
- There is no tumor in the breast, but cancer has been diagnosed in any of the three axillary nodes
- There is a tumor longer than 2cm but less than 5cm and has not reached the axillary nodes
- The tumor is 2cm or less and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
Stage III
This is where:
- No presence of tumor
- A tumor of any size is found
- A tumor larger than 5cm is found, and a group of cells in the lymph nodes
- Cancer has spread to one to three axillary lymph nodes.
Stage IV
Here, cancer has spread beyond the breast to the other body organs, such as lungs, skin, or liver. Being a cancer patient is one of the most devastating periods you can ever go through. This is why professionals in the health sector insist on regular breast screening to help identify the disease early enough.
