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Breast Cancer Survival
When a woman learns that she has breast cancer, the first thing she wants to know is if she will survive. The rates of breast cancer survival depend on the type of breast cancer a woman has. Types of breast cancer are divided into levels called stages.
Staging is the grading by which doctors rate a tumor when it is found. They take into consideration the size of the tumor, its location and its growth rate. The determination of the stage helps the doctors to provide the most optimal form of treatment.
The early stages of cancer are called Stage 0 and Stage I. Stage 0 is cancer which is confined to the milk ducts (DCIS) or the milk glands (LCIS) inside the breast. Stage I is an invasive cancer which invades not only the ducts or glands, but also the surrounding tissue. In Stage I the tumor is two centimeters or less, and has not spread to the lymph nodes. The survival rate for five years for both stages is 100%.
Stage II and Stage III are middle stage cancers. Stage II cancers are divided into two categories: IIA and IIB. Stage IIA cancer is an invasive cancer with a survival rate of 92% over five years. Stage IIA cancer includes three cancer types: the tumor is in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes under the arm), but not in the breast itself; or is in the breast and the lymph nodes, but measures two centimeters or less; or is in the breast only, and measures between two and five centimeters. Stage IIB has a slightly lower survival rate of 81% over five years. Stage IIB cancer is a tumor found only in the breast, but is larger than five centimeters; or is in both the breast and the axillary lymph nodes, and measures between two and five centimeters.
Stage III cancer is divided into three categories: IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC. Stage IIIA has a survival rate of 67% over five years. It is a tumor which is in the axillary lymph nodes and also nearby tissues; or is in both the breast, the axillary lymph nodes, and also nearby tissues. A Stage IIIB tumor refers to a tumor which has spread to the chest wall or the skin, or spread to the lymph nodes near the breastbone. A tumor is considered Stage IIIC when it has spread to the chest wall or the skin, the lymph nodes above or below the collarbone, and the axillary lymph nodes and the lymph nodes near the breast bone. Both Stages IIIB and IIIC have a survival rate of 54% over 5 years.
Stage IV cancer is considered a later stage, invasive cancer. This is a cancer which has spread to the other organs such as the lungs, liver, bones or brain. Stage IV survival rate is 20% over 5 years.
Breast cancer survival doesn’t just depend on medical intervention. There’s a lot to be said for attitude and support. Although attitude has not been shown to affect the physical survival of the patient, it certainly is important to the mental survival of the patient. Support can come from a variety of places: family, workplace, a specialized public group or a place of worship. Spending time with cancer survivors and cancer support groups is more than just helpful to the spirit; these are places where a woman can get vital information about new treatments and things like reconstructive surgery options. If a woman needs special care during her recovery, support groups can often arrange for help with cooking, transportation and baby-sitting, in addition to giving encouraging and sympathetic counseling.