Breast Cancer

The course of breast cancer

The very earliest stage of breast cancer is called carcinoma in situ, or DCIS. The cancer in this stage is found only in a few layers of cells and has not invaded nearby tissue.

Stage I and stage II are also early stages of breast cancer, but in these stages the cancer has invaded nearby tissue in the breast. In stage I breast cancer, the cancer cells have not spread beyond the breast and the tumor is no more than an inch across. In stage II, the cancer has spread to underarm lymph nodes and/or the tumor in the breast is one to two inches across.

Stage III, or locally advanced cancer, means the tumor in the breast is more than two inches across, the cancer is more extensive in the underarm lymph nodes, or it has spread to other lymph nodes or other tissues near the breast. Stage IV cancer is metastatic. The cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body.

Recurrent cancer means that the disease has reappeared, though treatment appeared successful. Even if a breast tumor appears to be removed or destroyed, the disease can return because undetected cancer cells remain or because the disease had spread before treatment.

The course of breast cancer
Diagnosis and early detection
Treatment
Living with cancer
Making the right decisions