Stage 0 (zero)
Illustration courtesy of the website of the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov).
There are two types of breast cancer in this stage:
- Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
- Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
Stage I
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Stage I breast cancer is divided into two parts, A and B:
- Stage IA breast cancer: The tumor is 2 cm or smaller and has not spread to the lymph nodes.
- Stage IB breast cancer: Small microscopic breast cancer cells are either found in the lymph nodes close to the breast and either no tumor is found in the breast or the tumor is smaller than 2 cm.
Stage IIA
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Stage II breast cancer is also divided into two parts, A and B. Stage IIA: There is either no tumor or the tumor is 2 cm or less in the breast, and microscopic breast cancer cells are found in one to three lymph nodes under the armpit or in the lymph nodes close to the breastbone. Or there is a tumor between 2–5 cm with no positive lymph nodes.
Stage IIB
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Stage IIB: The tumor in the breast is larger than 2 cm but smaller than 5 cm, and small areas of breast cancer cells are in the lymph nodes close to the breastbone. Or there is a tumor greater then 5 cm, with no positive lymph nodes.
Stage IIIA
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Stage III breast cancer is divided into three groups, A, B, and C. Stage IIIA: No tumor is seen in the breast or the tumor is any size, and cancer is found in four to nine lymph nodes under the armpit or in the lymph nodes at the breastbone.
Stage IIIB
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Stage IIIB: The tumor has spread through the skin of the breast or the chest wall, and the skin has broken open and formed an ulcer or caused swelling. The cancer may have spread to no more than nine lymph nodes under the armpit or near the breastbone.
Breast cancer that has spread to the skin can also be diagnosed as inflammatory breast cancer.
Stage IIIC
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Stage IIIC: The tumor is any size or there is no tumor. However, breast cancer has spread through the skin causing swelling or forming an ulcer and has spread to the chest wall. The breast cancer has also spread to at least ten lymph nodes in the armpit or near the breastbone.
Stage IV
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Stage IV means that the tumor is any size, lymph nodes may or may not contain breast cancer cells, and the cancer has spread to other parts of the body such as the lungs, brain, liver, and/or bone.
