Breast cancer is considered the common cancer that affects many women and some men every year. If diagnosed early, breast cancer is highly treatable and potentially curable. However, there are many factors, including the type of cancer diagnosis, the stage of breast cancer, and overall health, that affect the patient’s long-term outcomes. Understanding breast cancer is important for you to know at what stage it is treatable and whether it is curable or not. However, stages 0 to 3 are curable stages, and stages 4 are incurable, but with proper, on-time, and appropriate treatments, patients can live a better life. 

Breast Cancer – An Overview

Breast cancer is a complex condition that develops when the cells in the breast mutate as well as grow uncontrollably. It is a common type of cancer, with  many types: 

• Invasive ductal carcinoma- A common type in which cancer cells have spread in many body areas beyond the milk ducts into the surrounding breast tissues. 

• Ductal carcinoma in Situ- It is a non-invasive type in which abnormal cells are limited to mild ducts and have not spread yet.

• Invasive lobular carcinoma – It is the type of cancer that begins in milk-producing glands and spreads to nearby tissue.

Breast cancer is termed non-invasive if the tumour cells are still limited to the ducts and have not spread to other body organs. It is termed invasive when tumour cells spread into surrounding tissues or other body parts or organs and become metastatic. 

Breast cancer causes

The causes of breast cancer can be many; however,  it occurs when breast cells mutate and become tumorous, divide and multiply at a rapid rate that cannot be controlled. Some factors make a person more prone to breast cancer : 

• If you are a woman and above 50 
• If you have a family history of breast cancer, such as family, siblings, children or close relatives.
• If you have inherited genetic mutations.
• If you smoke too much, as tobacco is linked with many types of cancers
• If you  are obese
• If you have been through  radiation therapy previously
• If you have used hormone replacement therapy.

Living with breast cancer – Stages 

Breast cancer diagnosis begins your journey that comprises physical, emotional and practical alterations by searching for the best treatment options, managing the side effects, seeking experienced support and undergoing significant reconstruction or other treatment options. Determination of breast cancer stages is done by the expert, as it will help them to determine the cancer severity and survival rates.

The staging of cancer also help doctors to make an appropriate treatment tailored to the patient and to determine all needed details like tumour size and the parts it has spread to. There are many stages of breast cancer: 

Early Stage

In stage 0 of breast cancer, the cancer cells are limited to the milk ducts and not affected by the surrounding breast tissue. If ignored or if remains unnoticed and left untreated,  the disease of stage 0 progresses to the next stage. The good thing is that almost all cases of stage 0 breast cancer are cured. 

Stage 1

In Stage 1 of breast cancer tumour is very small, is located in the breast tissue near the lymph nodes or both. This stage is further classified into 1A and 1 B.

• In 1A, the size of the tumour is less than  2 cm and still not yet spread to other sites. 
• In  1B,  the size is less than 2cm, but tumour cells start spreading to a small number of lymph nodes.   The era of detection of stage 1 of breast cancer makes its origin excellent, and patients have a great survival rate of five years, which is 99 per cent.

Stage 2 breast cancer

Stage 2 involves larger tumour cells as compared to the previous stage, but these are still limited to the milk ducts or close to lymph nodes. This stage  for better consideration is divided into 2A and 2B : 

• In the 2A, no tumour in the breast can be seen but tumour cells are in fewer than four nearby lymph nodes. Also, in some cases of this stage the tumour size is 2cm, and cancer cells are in 4 lymph nodes. 
• In 2B, the tumour is within 2to 5 cm in diameter and spreads to some of the four lymph nodes 
• Also, the tumour in this stage is more than  5 cm in size , and no lymph nodes are involved. 

Stage 3 

The tumour in stage 3 of breast cancer is larger now and also spreads to nearby tissues like the skin covering the breast or muscles below. Stage 3 of breast cancer has excellent survival rates of about 87 per cent and is further subdivided into 3A,3B and 3C.

• In 3A, the tumour is identified as smaller than 2cm and spread in about four to nine lymph nodes. Also,  in some cases, the tumour is larger and also involves tiny malignant cells in the lymph nodes.  In some cases, the tumour is larger than 5cm and spreads to a few lymph nodes in the breastbone and arms. 
• In the 3B stage, the tumour can be of any size, and then it becomes malignant cells in the skin or chest, and the tumour cells have spread to nine nodes. 
• Stage 3C- At this stage, the cancer cells may be there or not and involve more than ten or over that . The presence or absence of a breast tumour is noticed but it can spread to lymph nodes and is located in many body parts. 

Stage 4 of breast cancer 

Stage 4 of breast cancer is when the malignant cells have left the primary site and travelled to distant body organs, such as the lungs and liver. Bones or the brain are made of blood and start growing there. The survival rates are just 31.9% in the Thai stage, though some may also live longer with appropriate treatment. 

Is it possible to cure breast cancer completely? 

Breast cancer can be entirely cured, as with effective treatment, the disease will not return. However it depends upon many factories  that what will be the outcome including : 

• The grade of the tumour
• The stage  of the tumour
• The type of breast cancer
• Is the cancer estrogen, or ER2, protein positive or negative
• The treatment option suitable for the person

Breast cancer is highly treatable in early stages, and the outlook in stages 0 to 3  is generally very positive. Advanced stage 4 breast cancer is not curable but can be managed well with proper treatment that focuses on : 

• Shrinking the cancer 
• Slowing the progress of the cancer
• Reliving signs and symptoms

When to consult the breast cancer specialist? 

Regular breast examinations and mammograms can help detect tumours at early stages before you can feel or see them. Also, your body produces specific symptoms or breast changes that you must note; however, these changes do not always mean that you have breast cancer. Early detection is what you must keep a check on to get the  best cancer treatment options. You must note some early  signs of breast cancer : 

• Breast swelling
• Nipple discharge
• Dimpling of the skin
• Lump or swelling under the arm or collarbone
• Skin changes on the nipple or breast.

Also, you must note the early warning signs of invasive breast cancer : 

• Changes in the colour of the breasts
• Changes in touch as it is warm, tender or hard
• A breast lump
•  Faking of nipple skin
• Increase in breast shape or size
• Redness of breast skin

The early sign of non-invasive breast cancer is just a lump, as the tumour is tiny and is only detectable by a mammogram. So a regular mammogram is essential to detect those signs that you cannot feel or see. 

Can you survive in  Stage 3 and Stage 4 of breast cancer? Is it possible

Stage 3 of breast cancer is a severe condition in which cancer is locally advanced, but it can be treated well, and long-term survival can also be attained.  DR Rajeev Aggarwal offers a combination of treatments, including surgery, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy with radiation and immunotherapy, to fight the cancer at several stages. 

Whom to consult for breast cancer treatment? 

When you notice the signs that are listed above for the various types of breast cancer or breast cancer that are listed above, consult the breast cancer specialist in Delhi and Gurgaon. Dr.  Rajeev Aggarwal is a renowned breast cancer specialist in Gurgaon with many years of expertise and a record of producing excellent results. He is among the best breast surgeons who use advanced cutting-edge surgical techniques to offer exceptional care and fast recoveries. He has been working for many years in Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon. It is among the top hospitals with a popular and well-known oncology department with high standards of care and uses the most innovative advanced techniques and the best high-tech tools. Stage 4 of breast cancer refers to the tumour that spreads to other body parts, leaving its original site, and some common sites are bones, lungs, liver and brain. In this stage, the tumour can be of any size, as well as lymph nodes may or may not contain tumour cells, but the cancer has metastasised. However, at this stage, the tumour is unlikely to be cured, but treatment may help to control the cancer for several months or even years.