Breast cancer is a disease that grows in the cells of the breast. This type of cancer can affect both men and women, but there are relatively few cases in men.
Breast cancer, according to WHO, is the most common cancer among women affecting 2.1 million people each year and also causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women. Creating awareness about breast cancer is important, so that it can be detected early. Early diagnosis will help control cancer and save lives on time.
Breast cancer can be broken down into five stages depending on how much cancer has spread. Doctors identify cancer stages based on various criteria such as tumor size, whether or not the cancer is invasive, cancer has spread to surrounding tissue or organ, and much more.
Here are the five stages of breast cancer.
Stage 0
During this stage cancer is hard to diagnose. The cancer at this point is limited to the breast ducts, without affecting any other tissue. That stage is therefore referred to as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The cancer is identified during this phase as being non-invasive.
Stage 1
This is the primary tumor stage where the tumor 's size is up to or below 2 centimeters wide. The development of small groups of cancer cells inside lymph nodes is also likely.
Stage 2
The tumor is around 2 centimeters at this phase, impacting nearby 1-3 lymph nodes. The tumor size may be between 2-5 centimeters in some cases without impacting lymph nodes.
Stage 3
The cancer spreads to multiple axillary lymph nodes, and the tumor size can vary. The tumor size is more than 5 centimeters in other cases, affecting 1-3 axillary lymph nodes.
Stage 4
This is a severe stage when the cancer has fully advanced and can also involve distant organs such as the liver, lungs or brain. It can hurt the bones, too.
Every woman is recommended to get mammography tested at least once to detect the disease at every early stage.
You may be scared of first contracting breast cancer or getting a diagnosis after a mammogram or other examination. If you have breast cancer, you might be scared of a potential recurrence, or even of the fact that breast cancer could take your life.
If you reach a point where troublesome feelings interfere with your work or taking care of yourself, talk to your doctor about the role of medications that can help alleviate your anxiety, depression, or sleeping problems.
