Texas Breast Center: The Stages Of Breast Cancer

Waxahachie, Texas -

Texas Breast Center, the Waxahachie, TX based office of Dr. Valerie Gorman, recently published an article on the stages of breast cancer. The article gives a brief overview of what breast cancer staging is, how the stages are determined, what the prognosis is at each stage and sheds light on some of the treatment options that are available at each stage. The article also answers frequently asked questions about the different stages of breast cancer, such as how fast cancer spreads at each of the stages. In addition, it gives a look into survival rates.

“Following a breast cancer diagnosis, medical professionals will look to see whether and how far the disease has spread,” the article says. “Staging is the term for this process. The cancer’s stage indicates how much cancer is present in the body. Determining the stage helps doctors evaluate the cancer’s severity and the most effective course of treatment. When discussing survival statistics, breast cancer doctors also refer to the stage of the malignancy. At Texas Breast Center, Dr. Gorman is dedicated to offering her patients the most advanced, personalized, and targeted approach to treating breast cancer with breast surgery. Her compassionate care, expertise and dedication to continuing medical education make her patients feel at ease knowing she is on their team.”

The majority of breast cancer patients want to know their breast cancer stage almost as soon as they receive the initial diagnosis. The American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system is what most healthcare providers use when talking about breast cancer. Once the patient receives their diagnosis, Dr. Gorman provides them with further information about the stage that their cancer is at as well as what being at that particular stage means. At this point, she will also answer any questions that the patient may have.

The first stage is stage 0, known as ductal carcinoma in situ, which occurs when abnormal but non-invasive cells are found in the lining of the breast milk duct’s lining. At this stage, there is no proof that the cancer has spread, and it is relatively easy to treat. At stage 1, there is definitive proof that the patient has cancer, but the patient can still be successfully treated when diagnosed early. Following stage 1 is stage 2 where the tumor is larger and continuing to grow but remains inside the breast tissue or lymph nodes. Stage 2 cancer is considered invasive and requires more aggressive treatment than stage 1. At stage 3, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, though it may not have started to affect other organs. Stage 3 cancer is generally considered advanced though it still remains treatable. Stage 4 cancer is established once it spreads to other parts of the body, and it is generally not considered to be curable.

How quickly stage 4 is reached will depend on the type of cancer in question. The article says, “All types of cancers are capable of spreading, but whether they do and how quickly they spread depends on a few different factors. The type of breast cancer you actually have is the main factor your doctor uses to assess whether or not your disease will spread quickly. Different breast cancers develop at varying rates. Given that every cancer diagnosis is unique, it is challenging to provide a general prediction of how quickly breast cancer may spread. Finding the typical growth rate of breast cancer is as challenging as figuring out how long breast cancer takes to develop. The amount of time it takes for a tumor to double in size has been studied in many ways, but the results are highly variable depending on the type of breast cancer and the patient.”

Learn more about the stages of breast cancer by reading Texas Breast Center’s article on the subject. Dr. Gorman has the tools and experience to provide the very best treatment for breast cancer at every stage and Texas residents who may be fighting breast cancer are encouraged to visit the clinic for a consultation.