31 Days, 31 Things You Didn't Know About Breast Cancer

Stages of Breast Cancer

Stage 0 = No evidence of cancer cells

Stage I = Cancer cells are breaking through to or invading neighboring normal tissue. No lymph nodes are involved.

Stage IIA = No tumor in breast, but cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes under the arm,

OR
Tumor is <= 2 cm in breast with cancer cells found in lymph nodes, OR Tumor is between 2 and 5 cm with no cancer cells in lymph nodes

Stage IIB = Tumor is between 2 and 5 cm with cancer cells in lymph nodes,
OR
Tumor is > 5 cm with no cancer cells in lymph nodes

Stage IIIA = No tumor in breast, but cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes under the arm
are clumped together or sticking to other structures, or cancer has spread

to lymph nodes near breastbone,
OR
Tumor is > 5cm with cancer cells in the lymph nodes under the arm clumped

together or sticking to other structures

Stage IIIB = Tumor of any size and has spread to chest wall and/or skin of the breast,
AND
Cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes under the arm and are clumped together
or sticking to other structures,
OR
Cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes near breastbone

(Known as inflammatory breast cancer)

Stage IIIC = Either no tumor or tumor of any size that has spread to chest wall and/or skin of

the breast,
AND
Cancer cells in lymph nodes around collarbone,
AND
Cancer in lymph nodes under the arm or near breastbone

Stage IV = Cancer has spread to the other organs of the body -- usually the lungs, liver, bone, or
brain