Stage 4 Breast Cancer

Stage 4

Characteristic

-       The cancer has spread to other organs of the body, most often the bones, lungs, liver or the brain.

Signs/Symptoms

-       Depending on the area of spread, symptoms can include persistent back, bone or join pain, headaches, chronic cough, chest pain and bloating or pain in the belly area.

-       Systemic symptoms like rapid weight loss and shortness of breath can also occur.

Treatment options

-       Surgery, radiation, or both may be used on the breast or other sites, depending on many individual factors.

-       Hormonal therapy and targeted therapy may be used.

-       Treatment to relieve symptoms like pain and vomiting may be prescribed.

-       Palliative care.

Stage 3 Breast Cancer

Stage 3

Characteristic

-       The tumor is larger than 2 cm and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes.

-       Cancer cells are found in lymph nodes near the breast bone, the chest wall or the skin of the breast.

Sign/Symptoms

-       Swelling of all or part of the breast, breast pain, a lump in the underarm area, nipple pain or nipple turning inward, changes in the appearance of the breast.

Detection

-       Mammograms, self-breast examinations, clinical breast examinations, chest x-ray. For cancers that have spread to the skin of the breast, changes in the breast are usually visible and easily felt (enlargement of the breast, discoloration, pain and tenderness).

Treatment

-       Radical mastectomy with or without radiotherapy

-       Lumpectomy + radiotherapy

-       Chemotherapy commonly recommended

-       Hormonal therapy (for people with hormone-receptor-positive cancer)

-       Targeted therapy (may be used for people with cancers that have certain characteristics).

Stage 2 Breast Cancer

Stage 2

Characteristic

-       The tumor between 2 cm and 5 cm, with or without spread to the axillary lymph nodes (under the arm).

-       Clusters of cancer cells are found in axillary lymph nodes (under the arm)

Signs/Symptoms

-       Swelling of all or part of the breast, breast pain, a lump in the underarm area.

Detection

-       Mammograms, self-breast examinations, clinical breast examinations, chest x-ray.

Treatment options

-       Radical mastectomy with or without radiotherapy.

-       Lumpectomy + radiotherapy

-       Chemotherapy commonly recommended

-       Hormonal therapy (for people with hormone-receptor-positive cancer)

-       Targeted therapy (may be used for people with cancers that have certain characteristics; cancer with too many HER2 protein receptors).

Stage 1 Breast Cancer

Stage 1

Characteristics

-       Cancer has formed with a tumor not larger than 2 cm but has not spread outside the breast.

-       Clusters of cancer cells are found in lymph nodes inside the breast.

Signs/symptoms

-       In some cases, a painless, hard lump or mass in the breast. However, you and your doctor may not be able to feel tumors that are less than 8 mm.

Detection

-       Mammograms, self-breast examinations, clinical breast examinations (by a doctor)

Treatment

-       Mastectomy

-       Lumpectomy + radiotherapy

-       Lumpectomy alone

-       Hormonal therapy (for people with hormone-receptor-positive cancer)

Breast Cancer Stage 0

Here I will just write simply about breast cancer stages, detection and treatment options. This is just for general information, if you want more detail explanation please ask a doctor.

Stage 0

Characteristic

-       Abnormal cells found in the milk ducts or milk-producing glands.

-       However, these cells have not spread beyond the ducts or glands

Sign/Symptoms

-       Usually little or no symptoms

Detection

-       Mammograms

Treatment options

-       Lumpectomy (removal of lump) if localized.

-       Mastectomy (removal of breast) if found in multiple sites.

-       Often, radiotherapy is used.