Understanding Breast Cancer Staging

This topic will make you understand why it is important to do monthly breast exam. The earlier the cancer is detected, the better the prognosis.

Breast cancer staging 

To stage cancer, the American Joint Committee on Cancer, first places the cancer in a letter category using the tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) classification system. The stage of a breast cancer describes its size and the extent to which it has spread. The staging system ranges from stage 0 to stage IV according to tumor size, lymph nodes involved, and distant metastasis.

T indicates tumor size. The letter T is followed by a number from 0 to 4, which describes the size of the tumor and whether it has spread to the skin or chest wall under the breast. Higher T numbers indicate a larger tumor and/or more extensive spread to tissues surrounding the breast.

• TX: The tumor cannot be assessed.
• T0: No evidence of a tumor is present.
• Tis: The cancer may be LCIS, DCIS, or Paget disease.
• T1: The tumor is 2 cm or smaller in diameter.
• T2: The tumor is 2-5 cm in diameter.
• T3: The tumor is more than 5 cm in diameter.
• T4: The tumor is any size, and it has attached itself to the chest wall and spread to the pectoral (chest) lymph nodes.

N indicates palpable nodes. The letter N is followed by a number from 0 to 3, which indicates whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breast and, if so, whether the affected nodes are fixed to other structures under the arm.

• NX: Lymph nodes cannot be assessed (eg, lymph nodes were previously removed).
• N0: Cancer has not spread to lymph nodes.
• N1: Cancer has spread to the movable ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes (underarm lymph nodes on the same side as the breast cancer).
• N2: Cancer has spread to ipsilateral lymph nodes (on the same side of the body as the breast cancer), fixed to one another or to other structures under the arm.
• N3: Cancer has spread to the ipsilateral mammary lymph nodes or the ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph nodes (on the same side of the body as the breast cancer).

M indicates metastasis. The letter M is followed by a 0 or 1, which indicates whether the cancer has metastasized (spread) to distant organs (eg, lungs or bones) or to lymph nodes that are not next to the breast, such as those above the collarbone.

• MX: Metastasis cannot be assessed.
• M0: No distant metastasis to other organs is present.
• M1: Distant metastasis to other organs has occurred.

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Battling Cancer is a tough time in anyone’s life. Perhaps the toughest

Battling Cancer is a tough time in anyone’s life. Perhaps the toughest. That’s why we’ve decided to write this article on how to care for yourself during radiation for Breast Cancer.

It very important to properly care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer. Keep in mind that after radiation you could feel fatigued for up to six weeks. Sleep as much as you like during this time – one thing you really need is your rest.

Also, make sure after radiation that you wear a comfortable bra. Making sure your bra fits properly and doesn’t rub in any way is all part of good care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer. If a part of your bra rubs place a soft cloth between the bra and your skin.

Weight loss can be a problem after radiation treatment. In order to properly care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer make sure you eat a balanced diet. This will help you to avoid weight loss and keep your energy levels as high as possible.

Keep the skin fold area under your breast clean and talk to your doctor before using any powders, lotions, deodorants or perfumes. As part of your care for yourself during breast cancer radiation you need to make sure you are not using any products that might react with your skin at this time or do something to affect the radiation treatment in any way. Because of this it is best to avoid deodorants. Deodorants contain magnesium, and this can inhibit the effectiveness of the radiation treatment. To avoid reactions with the treated area, also avoid starching your clothes.

As part of care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer bathe the treated area in lukewarm water. This is because hot and cold water can damage your skin.

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