After surgery, the pathology report will provide information for staging the cancer, a process that helps to determine whether any further treatment is needed after surgery and to predict the outlook for a cure. Here's a summary of the stages of breast cancer:
Stage O: Carcinoma in situ. Cancer has not spread beyond the ducts in the breast.
Stage I: The tumor is two centimeters (about one inch) or less in diameter and it has not spread to the underarm (axillary) lymph nodes or to any other sites.
Stage II: Tumor is larger than two centimeters, or cancer cells are detected in movable (not fixed) axillary lymph nodes on the same side of the body as the breast mass. If the cancer-containing lymph nodes are fixed meaning they are attached to the skin or underlying tissue then the cancer is stage III.
Stage III:The tumor may be any size, but it has spread to fixed lymph nodes. If a tumor involves the skin or chest wall or has spread to the lymph nodes located underneath the breast on the same side of the body as the tumor, it automatically is at least stage III, no matter what the size.
Stage IV: Any tumor that has spread to any other site beyond the local area of the breast (for example, to internal organs or bones), no matter what the size.
Five-Year
Breast-Cancer Survival Rates |
| Tumor Size |
Lymph Nodes
Cancer Free |
More Than Three
Lymph Nodes With Cancer |
| 1 to 2 cm |
96 percent |
67 percent |
| 2 to 3 cm |
92 percent |
63 percent |
| 3 to 4 cm |
86 percent |
57 percent |
| 4 to 5 cm |
85 percent |
53 percent |
| More than 5 cm |
82 percent |
45 percent |
Aetna Members: If you are a female member of an HMO-based plan and would like more information about breast cancer and breast cancer prevention, please call (888) 322 8742.
Miembros de Aetna: Si tiene un plan HMO y desea más información sobre el cáncer de seno y la prevención del cáncer de seno, por favor llame al 1-888-322-8742.
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