Breast Cancer Stages (Cont.)

 
Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)
In this breast cancer type, abnormal cells are in the lining of a duct. DCIS is also called intraductal carcinoma. The abnormal cells have not spread outside the duct. They have not invaded the nearby breast tissue. DCIS sometimes becomes invasive cancer if not treated.
 

Stage I Breast Cancer

Stage I breast cancer is an early stage of invasive breast cancer. In stage I breast cancer:
 
  • The tumor is no more than 2 centimeters (three-quarters of an inch) across
  • Cancer cells have not spread beyond the breast.
 

Stage II Breast Cancer

There are two types of stage II breast cancer:
 
  • Stage IIA
  • Stage IIB.
 
Stage IIA Breast Cancer
In stage IIA breast cancer:
 
  • No tumor is found in the breast, but cancer is found in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes under the arm)
  • The tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes
  • The tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but no larger than 5 centimeters and has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
 
Stage IIB Breast Cancer
In stage IIB breast cancer, the tumor is either:
 
  • Larger than 2 centimeters but no larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes
  • Larger than 5 centimeters but has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.

 

(Breast Cancer Stages Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD