Stages of Breast Cancer

Cancer Stages

Breast cancer disrupts normal body functions, impacting the glandular tissue of the breast, including the lobes and their connecting ducts.

Cancer is classified in stages based on multiple factors, with the most common being TNM:

T (original tumor)
N (in the nearby lymph nodes)
M (spreading to different parts of the body)

Stage 0: Cancer has not spread beyond the original cell layer in which it began (carcinoma in situ).

Stage I - Stage IV: classification is based on how the cancer has metastasized to other areas of the body

Stage IV: When the cancer has spread to organs or distant tissue

Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC): classified as late-stage (Stage IV) breast cancer that begins in the breast tissue and cascades (metastatic cascade) through the blood or lymphatic system to the bones, lymph nodes, lungs, liver, and brain. During this stage, palliative care focuses on improving quality of life and managing symptoms, including pain, cognitive deficits, shortness of breath, internal bleeding, and other negative effects of cancer

Image taken from The Johns Hopkins Hospital

References:

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