The Stages of Breast Cancer

Ductal Carcinoma in situ (in the original place). This is a noninvasive cancer which is contained in the duct of the breast and has not spread to other parts of the breast. No tumor is found in axillary lymph node. The cancer has not spread to other parts of the body (metastasis).

Cancer has spread to other parts of the breast. The tumor is a less than or equal to 2 centimeters. There is no cancer in axillary lymph node. The cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.

Cancer is found in other parts of the breast. The tumor(s) are between 2 and 5 centimeters, with no involvement of axillary lymph nodes. The cancer has not metastasized to other parts of the body.

OR; cancer is found in other areas of the breast, less than 2cm in size, which may include no identifiable tumor at all. Positive movable lymph nodes on the same side of the body. Cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.

Cancer has been found in another area of the breast, between 2 and 5cm. It has spread to moveable axillary lymph nodes on the same side of the breast. It has not metastasized.

OR; Tumor is over 5cm. No cancer in the axillary lymph nodes. Cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.

No evidence of primary tumor, cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes on the same side of the chest;

OR; Tumor size is less than or equal to 2cm. It has spread to axillary lymph nodes. The cancer has not spread to other areas of the body;

OR; Tumor size is between 2 and 5cm and spread to axillary lymph nodes. Cancer has not spread to other areas of the body;

OR; Tumor size is over 5cm, has spread to moveable or fixed axillary lymph nodes on the same side of the body. Cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.

Tumor extends to chest wall, any axillary nodal involvement, and has not spread to other parts of the body;

OR; Any size primary tumor, which has spread to internal mammary nodes on the same side of the body with no cancer in other parts of the body.

Any size tumor, any lymph node involvement, cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Prognosis and life expectancy decrease with stage. The smaller the tumor and less it has spread, the better. Early detection and treatment is critical to obtain the best possible outcome.

Survival in Stage 1 approaches 97%. Stage 4 is felt to be treatable (often for many years) but not curable. However, it is becoming clear that a patient’s individual tumor characteristics are perhaps even more predictive of their outcome than size and lymph node involvement alone.