Next to skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women. Cancer develops when cells do not divide and die normally, thus resulting in a growth, or tumor. While some tumors are benign (non-cancerous) and pose minimal threat to the woman, other tumors are malignant (cancerous) and can be life-threatening.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the most common types of breast cancer are ductile carcinoma, which occurs in 7 out of 10 women with breast cancer, and lobular carcinoma, which is found in 1 out of 10 women with breast cancer.
Before treatment can begin, doctors need to identify the stage of a woman's breast cancer, which ranges from Stage 0 to Stage IV. The stage of a woman's breast cancer, as NCI explains, is usually determined following surgery to remove the tumor and at least one underarm lymph node.
According to NCI, in Stage I (early stage), the tumor is no larger than the size of a peanut (2 cm). Cancer cells may be found in the lymph nodes, but not in other parts of the body. In Stage IV (advanced), by contrast, the tumor may be any size, and the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, known as metastatic breast cancer.
Regardless of the stage, treatment options are available and further testing and discussions with your doctor will enable you to determine which option may be most effective and feasible.
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