Different Stages Of Breast Cancer And Chances Of Recovering
Discovering that you have breast cancer can be a frightening prospect. Even when the cancer has not metastasized, 86% of women have about 5 years left to live. However, for many who discover the cancer early, the chances of survival are usually better.
Breast cancer, like most other forms, progresses in stages. A standard classification of letters and numbers is used to describe the stages - T, N and M and 0-IV. The alphabet T denotes the size of the tumor while alphabet N denotes that it has spread to the lymph nodes and the alphabet M means distant metastasis. Should a main tumor affect other parts and results in the formation of other tumors, it is known to have metastasized.
When a tumor cannot be assessed, it is designated the classification of TX. Where there is no indication of cancer, T0 is used. If one of the following forms is suspected - DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ) or Paget's disease (where the nipple and/or areola is cancerous) - Tis is used.
Stage 0 indicates that the cancer is in its earliest stage. Stage I indicates that tumors have not spread and are less than 2cm in size. A tumor that is 2-5cm in diameter is classified as Stage II, and a tumor larger than 5cm is considered Stage III. When a tumor has attached to the chest wall and spread to the lymph nodes it is considered to be Stage IV.
Today, due to medical advances, many breast cancers are diagnosed and treated during the early stages.
When treatment is given to patients who are at Stage 0 or 1, the survival rates are almost 100%. And yes, men can develop breast cancer, though at a far lower rate of 1/133 when compared to women. The survival rate for those with Stage II cancer is between 81%-92%. At Stage III the rate lowers to 67%, and then drops substantially to 20% at Stage IV.
Despite being a serious condition, breast cancer is now rarely life threatening. Even sufferers of later stage cancers often survive past seven years. The chances for survival go up as the world improves in its medical and technological know-how. Even later stage cancer survival rates are rising as medical and treatment methods improve.
The QM-MSP (quantitative multiplex methylation-specific PCR) is one such new method of diagnosis. Discovered in 2001, it uses fluid from the breast and tests the chemicals contained in the fluid. The chemical analysis undertaken during this test allows cancer to be detected with 86% reliability, and cancer clumps with as little as 50 cells can found. When discovered early, breast cancer treatments are usually very effective and there are new means to diagnose breast cancer early.
Treatments are also improving, with hormone therapy, targeted radiation and molecule specific drugs now readily available.
Breast cancer is no longer the death sentence it used to be. While still serious, the odds of beating this disease are high, and treatments are far less invasive than in the past.
