Breast cancer is a disease that can develop in any area of the breast. It leads to the formation of a tumor in the breast cells, one that is usually detected through a mammogram. Breast cancer occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it too. In this article, we discuss the stages of breast cancer as well as the symptoms associated with it.

Stages

Breast cancer has close to five stages. Typically, the higher the stage, the more severe the cancer is. Let us dive deeper into each one of them:

Stage 0
In stage 0, the cancer may be present in the milk ducts. However, there is no evidence of its presence yet.

Stage I
At this level, breast cancer grows invasive and starts to attack healthy tissue. This stage is further divided into two sub-stages:

• Stage IA: Breast cancer at this level means that it has affected the breast tissue. There may be a presence of a peanut-sized tumor.
• Stage IB: In this stage, some cancer cells can be found in the lymph nodes.

Stage II
This is the stage wherein the cancer grows or/and spreads. This, too, has two parts:

• Stage IIA : The tumor is still small at this stage and the cancer may have spread to only a few axillary lymph nodes. However, this tumor may not be present yet.
• Stage IIB : The tumor, at this level, may have grown by a few centimeters. It may or may not spread to the lymph nodes.

Stage III
This is a severe stage of breast cancer that is harder to treat.

• Stage IIIA: In this sub-stage, cancer may be found in up to nine lymph nodes, with the tumor having grown larger.
• Stage IIIB: The tumor may have spread to the chest wall or skin around the breast, along with spreading to more axillary lymph nodes.
• Stage IIIC : The cancer may have spread to ten or more lymph nodes and possibly, even above or below the collarbone.

Stage IV
This is a highly invasive stage wherein the cancer moves beyond the breast to affect other parts of the body, including the brain, liver, and lungs.

Symptoms

The symptoms of breast cancer vary from person to person—some readily show symptoms while some may not even notice any sign. Here are some of the most common symptoms of breast cancer:

• A lump in the breast or underarm that has been felt for a while. This is also one of the earliest signs of breast cancer.
• Swelling in and around the collarbone or armpit area
• An increase or change in the size, temperature, or shape of the breast
• Nipple discharge that is bloody or of an unusual color
• Pain and tenderness in the breast area
• Redness and flaking of the nipple skin
• Changes in the shape of the nipple.