Information on 1st Stage Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is broken up into stages. These stages depend on several factors, including size of the tumor, whether lymph nodes are involved and if the cancer has spread. Stage 1 breast cancer involves tumors up to two centimeters.

Identification

Stage 1 breast cancer is considered invasive. This means the cancer cells are infecting normal tissue. The lymph nodes are not affected. Once lymph nodes are affected, the cancer can spread to other parts of the body.

Treatment

Stage 1 breast cancer is usually treated with breast-conserving surgery, like a lumpectomy or a partial mastectomy, or a modified radical mastectomy. These surgeries are then followed by radiation therapy to prevent cancer recurrence.

Further Treatment

Adjuvant systemic therapy is one or a combination of hormone therapy, chemotherapy and trastuzumab. This treatment is decided based on certain factors like a patient's age and estrogen-receptor status. It usually isn't recommended for small tumors.

Prevention/Solution

After surgery, the lymph nodes will need to be evaluated to ensure the cancer has not spread. A surgeon can also perform breast reconstruction.

Prognosis

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, stage 1 breast cancer has a 98 percent five-year survival rate. This percentage goes down as the stages get higher.

References

• Breastcancer.org
• American Cancer Society
• National Breast Cancer Foundation