Inflammatory Breast Cancer Stages
TNM staging system - The most commonly used tools that doctors use to describe the TNM system is the stadium. The doctor uses the results of diagnostic tests and scans to answer these questions: Tumor (T): how large primary tumor? Where is it located? Node (N): tumor spread to lymph nodes? If so, where and how much? Metastasis (M): the cancer spread to other parts of the body? If so, where and how much?
The results are combined to determine the stage of cancer for each person. There are 5 stages: stage 0 (zero), which is a non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and phase I to IV (1 to 4), used for invasive breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer stages - This stage provides a common way to describe cancer, so the doctor can work together to plan the best treatment.
There are 2 types of TNM staging for breast cancer. The first clinical phase, based on the results of the tests carried out before the operation, which may include a physical examination, mammogram, ultrasound, and MRI scans. Later, the pathological stage was set based on the results of the pathology of the breast tissue and lymph nodes removed during surgery. Inflammatory breast cancer stages - This is usually determined a few days after surgery. In General, the more importance is placed on the pathological stage of clinical stage.
Cancer Stage Grouping
The doctor set the stage of cancer by combining the T, N, and M classifications. Read about specific T, N, and M classifications in the Guide to breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is generally considered the minimum stage IIIB breast cancer when first diagnosed, but may stage IV if it has spread beyond the breast and lymph nodes.- Stage 0: phase zero (0) to explain a disease only in the ducts of the breast tissue and lobules and has not spread to the surrounding breast tissue. It is also called non-invasive cancer (Tis, N0, M0).
- Stage IA: tumor is small, invasive, and has not spread to lymph nodes (T1, N0, M0).
- Stage IB: the cancer has spread to lymph nodes only, and greater than 0.2 mm but less than 2 mm in size. There is good there is no evidence of the tumor in the breast or a tumor in the breast is 20 mm or smaller (T0 or T1, N1mic, M0).
- Stage IIA: one of the following conditions: (1) There is no evidence of the tumor in the breast, but cancer has spread to lymph nodes AK Sila but not to distant parts of the body. (T0, N1, M0). (2) The tumor is 20 mm or smaller and has spread to lymph nodes AK Sila (T1, N1, M0). (3) The tumor is larger than 20 mm but not more than 50 mm and has not spread to lymph nodes AK Sila (T2, N0, M0).
- Stage IIB: either one of these conditions: The tumor is larger than 20 mm but not more than 50 mm and has spread to 1 to 3 lymph nodes AK Sila (T2, N1, M0). The tumor is larger than 50 mm but has not spread to lymph nodes AK Sila (T3, N0,M0).
- Stage IIIA: cancer of any size has spread to 4 to 9 AK Sila lymph nodes, but not to other parts of the body (T0, T1, T2 or T3, N2, M0). Stage IIIA can also be a tumor larger than 50 mm that has spread to 1 to 3 lymph nodes (T3, N1, M0).
- Stage IIIB: tumor has spread to the chest wall or cause swelling or ulceration on the breast or diagnosed as inflammatory breast cancer. This may or may not have spread to the lymph nodes under the arm, but has not spread to other parts of the body (T4; N0, N1 or N2; M0).
- Stage IIIC: tumor of any size that does not spread to distant parts of the body, buthas spread to 10 or more lymph nodes or lymph nodes aksila in N3 groups (any T, N3, M0).
- Stage IV (metastatic): the tumor can be any size and has spread to other organs such as bone, lung, brain, liver, lymph nodes, remote or chest wall (any T, all N, M1). Metastatic cancer spread found when the cancer was first diagnosed happened about 5% to 6% of the time. This may be called a de novo metastatic breast cancer. The most common metastatic breast cancer was discovered after a previous diagnosis of early breast cancer.
Recurrent: Recurrent cancer is cancer that has come back after treatment, and can be either local or remote or both. If the cancer does not return, there will be another round of tests to learn about the rate of recurrence. These tests and scans are often similar to those carried out at the time of original diagnosis.
Inflammantory Breast Cancer Stages - Because of the inflammatory breast cancer in the form of layers, your doctor might not feel different lump during a breast exam and a mammogram can not detect a good one. However, it is possible to see and feel the thickening of the skin that is often the case with IBC. This thickening of the skin can also be detected on a mammogram.
In most cases, inflammatory breast cancer is diagnosed after you or your doctor can see or feel the breast changes, such as redness, swelling, warmth, or orange skin that is visible on the skin. Because IBC grows rapidly, it is usually found in local advanced stage, which means that the cancer cells have spread into the surrounding breast tissue or lymph nodes. Almost everyone with the IBC had evidence of cancer in the lymph nodes. In about 1 out of 3 people with IBC, the cancer has spread from the breast to other areas of the body. If you have been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, it's really understandable if you feel overwhelmed. Keep in mind, though, that there are many different treatment options available for IBC.
Tests for Diagnosis and Staging
For diagnosing inflammatory breast cancer, the doctor will perform a biopsy. A biopsy is a surgical procedure that removes some of the suspicious breast tissue for examination under a microscope. Because of the inflammatory breast cancer usually does not start as a lump, but not as changes in the skin, skin punch biopsy is often used to make a diagnosis. During this type of biopsy, doctors use a circular tool to remove a small section of skin and deeper layers, and then stitching the wound closed. If your doctor can see the lesion area, he or she can do an ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy. Ultrasound Imaging is a method that puts the sound-emitting device on the breast to get pictures of the tissues. Guided by ultrasound, doctors insert a needle into the breast to remove some cylindrical tissue samples from the suspected area.If the biopsy showed that inflammatory breast cancer is present, the doctor will perform additional tests to find out how much breast tissue and lymph nodes that are involved, and whether or not the other breast was affected. Breast MRI or magnetic resonance imaging, is considered the most reliable tests to gather more information about inflammatory breast cancer.
After IBC diagnosed, additional tests are used to determine whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast to other organs, such as lungs, bones or liver. This is called staging. Tests that may be used include: Chest x-ray, CT scan (computerized tomography) of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, a bone scan, and liver function tests.
Some researchers are studying the utility of PET/CT scans in the staging of inflammatory breast cancer. Pet (positron emission tomography) scan/CT new technology used to create images of the body's cells as they work. First, you will be injected with a substance that is made up of sugar and a small amount of radioactive material. Special scanner machine then "highlights" cancer cells throughout the body because they absorb the radioactive substances. What is PET/CT is better than other tests in the staging of this cancer has yet to be determined. Although PET/CT is still being studied, you may want to ask your doctor whether this test will be useful in planning treatment. If the answer is "Yes", you may ask where the PET/CT may be available in your area.