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The Stages of Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer is a type of cancer that usually forms in the mammary gland due to multiplications of cells uncontrollably. Breast Cancer can be divided into stages that show how much dangerous position the patient is suffering.

Doctors find out which stage you are going through by carrying out physical exams, X-rays, biopsies and other procedures.

Breast cancer can be divided into ‘ Invasive’ and ‘non-invasive’. These two are used to describe the most common types of breast cancer that including:

• Ductal Carcinoma in Suit
• Lobular Carcinoma
• Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
• Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

1. Inflammatory breast cancer- Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare but aggressive and fast-spreading type of cancer. IBC causes your breast to swell, look red, and feel very warm instead of creating anything like a tumour.
2. Triple-Negative Breast Cancer- These cancers are difficult to handle because hormonal therapy for breast cancer is ineffective. 
3. Metastatic Breast Cancer- This type of cancer spreads from your breast to other body parts, such as your bones, lungs, or liver. It is an advanced stage of breast cancer.
4. Male Breast Cancer- Men can also have breast cancer but in a rare form. According to the American Cancer Society(ACS), male breast cancer is 100 times less than women.

Read More – What should I do after a lumpectomy?

According to Choice Cancer Care, there are several symptoms according to the stages of breast cancer. The symptoms are elaborated below for your better understanding:

Stage 0: You may be able to see any symptoms, or you may not. It is the very first stage and usually does not give any symptoms as the cells do not expand; cancer remains intact in this very first stage.

Stage 1: This is a curable stage as the cells are at their place and are not started to affect other areas. The symptoms of breast cancer in this stage include:

• Lymph nodes in the breast or armpit
• Tumour of 2 cm in the breast or armpit
• Pain in the breast
• Breast sagging is a precise form
• Reversed Nipple
• Pain in the Nipple
• Nipple size changing in the precise form

Stage 2: This stage is also curable with the proper diagnosis. The symptoms included in this stage include:

• Tumour size becomes 2 cm
• Lymph nodes start to spread 2-5 cm
• The Lymph node can be larger than 5 cm
• Pain in Breast
• Sagginess in the gland
• Reversed Nipple
• Nipple size changes unevenly

Stage 3: This is a vital stage as with proper diagnosis; also, it may not be cured or may be cured. It is a 50-50 situation. The symptoms include in this stage are:

• The Tumor is larger, spreading 5 cm
• Lymph nodes spread 3 axillaries
• Increase in the mammary gland
• Nipple size enlarges
• Excessive pain in the gland
• Mammary nodes spread in 10 or more axillaries
• Mammary gland turning red

Stage 4: This is the dangerous stage as most people do not survive diagnosing this stage. The Tumor can be of any size in this stage and the cancer cells spread to most parts of the body, including the brain, lungs, bones, liver, etc. this is considered the last stage.

Have queries or concern ?

According to research, Breast cancer can be treated with different cancer treatments. These treatment procedures will help you deal with the cancer cell and help you recover.

According to the procedure your doctor suggests, the recovery process can be a little time-consuming. Some of the recovery treatments doctors and their recovery times are given below:

• Surgery- In this form of treatment, it takes 2-3 weeks to recover properly.
• Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy is the most time-consuming process, and recovery depends on the treatment continues for 6 months.
• Hormonal Therapy- This therapy continues for 5-10 years to recover under this process.
• Biological Therapy- A person can recover from breast cancer within 6-8 weeks under this process.
• Radiation Therapy- This process also takes 6-12 months to completely free from the cancer cells.

Things that you can avoid

Following are some of the things you should avoid to reduce risk of breast cancer:

• Avoid smoking and drinking
• Avoid harsh lifestyle
• Avoid delay in medical checkups
• Avoid the sun and the heat
• Avoid negativity

With proper maintenance of your health, you can see changes in your body and mind. You can also save your life from getting ill.

We at Sahyadri Hospital have expert and experienced Cancer Specialists in Pune. For any kind of expert advice or consultation concerning your Breast Cancer, you can always turn to our hospital for safe and effective treatment.