If you are suffering from mammary carcinoma, your doctor will tell you what stage your cancer is. These stages helps to describe how advanced the cancer is in the breast tissue and possibly other parts of your body as well.
Determining the stage will eventually help you to understand the breadth of the cancer that has affected you. You can also contact the oncologists who provide the best breast cancer treatment in Kolkata. So, read on the blog below to know more about the various stages of breast cancer.
What is stage I breast cancer?
This is an early stage of invasive cancer. In this, tumor cells have spread to normal surrounding breast tissue but are still contained in a small area. This stage is divided into two categories:
a) The tumor measures up to 20 millimeters and there’s no cancer growth in the lymph nodes.
b) A small tumor in the breast that is less than 20 millimeters and small clusters of cancer cells has developed in the lymph nodes
What is stage II breast cancer?
In the stage II cancer is no more confined to a limited region of the breast but has grown larger. It reflects how many lymph nodes might contain cancer cells. This stage is also divided into two subcategories:
a) A tumor of 20 to 50 millimeters is present in the breast, although cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes.
b) A tumor of 20 to 50 millimeters has developed in the breast, along with cancer that has spread to the nearby lymph nodes.
What is stage III breast cancer?
In stage III breast cancer, the cancer has spread further into the breast or the tumor and is larger in size than the earlier stages. It is divided into three subcategories.
a) With or without a tumor, cancer development is found in four to nine nearby lymph nodes.
b) A tumor has spread to the chest wall behind the breast.
c) There may be a tumor of the size of the breast, or no tumor present at all.
What is stage IV breast cancer?
This is the most advanced stage of breast cancer. In this the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes and to distant parts of the body beyond the breast. Consequently, this involves other organs like the lungs, liver, brain or even the bones. When first diagnosed the breast cancer may reach to stage four or may be a recurrence of a previous breast cancer that has spread.
Check out the best oncology hospital in India, where you can avail seamless treatments under the guidance of the best doctors in the city. You can even book an appointment by calling up on the number given in the website.