Understanding Breast Cancer Stages

Dr. Danielle Bertoni, MD, MPH

Video Transcript

One of the first questions most patients ask when they come in is, "What is my stage, and what does it mean?" Breast cancer staging has become increasingly complex in recent years. We now assess both the anatomic and biological aspects of the tumor. The anatomic stage looks at the size of the tumor, whether it has spread to the lymph nodes, or other parts of the body. The biological stage involves the tumor's grade, which indicates how aggressive the cancer is, and its receptors, which tell us what is fueling the cancer. You may have heard of different types of breast cancer, such as estrogen receptor-positive cancers, which are fed by hormones like estrogen, and triple-negative breast cancer, which is more aggressive. There's also HER2-positive cancer, which is aggressive but responds well to treatment. We take all of this into consideration to determine the overall stage of cancer. The stage gives us information about prognosis and survival rates but does not necessarily dictate treatment, except in the case of stage 4 breast cancer, which has spread to other parts of the body. For stage 4, treatment focuses primarily on medications, and surgery is typically not part of the treatment plan, although there are exceptions. Stages 1 through 3 breast cancers are generally considered treatable and potentially curable with surgery. The choice of surgery is based on the size of the tumor relative to the size of the breast and whether it has spread to the lymph nodes. Ultimately, the treatment decision is a shared process between the patient and the doctor. I look forward to meeting you. Please visit us at basscancercenter.com to learn more about me and how to schedule a visit.