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Breast cancer - prognosis
All breast cancers are not created equal and, because of that, not all of us who share a diagnosis will also share a prognosis.
Keep in mind: A prognosis is not a peek into a crystal ball. Knowing that your cancer has only some 10% survival rate, for instance, doesn't preclude you from being in the 10% of survivors. Likewise, a 90% survival rate isn't a promise that you won't fall into the unlucky minority.
The stages of breast cancer, and the prognosis that generally accompanies each, are:
See also
Keep in mind: A prognosis is not a peek into a crystal ball. Knowing that your cancer has only some 10% survival rate, for instance, doesn't preclude you from being in the 10% of survivors. Likewise, a 90% survival rate isn't a promise that you won't fall into the unlucky minority.
The stages of breast cancer
There are a number of factors that go into determining a prognosis, but perhaps chief among them is the stage of your disease. A pathologist stages a cancer based on properties of the tumor cells themselves, as well as whether there are signs that the cancer has spread, either within the breast or to other parts of the body.The stages of breast cancer, and the prognosis that generally accompanies each, are:
Stage 0: Also called carcinoma in situ, this stage is a precancerous condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lining of the breast ducts (ductal carcinoma in situ) or in the lobules of the breast (lobular carcinoma in situ). It carries a five-year survival rate of around 95%.
Stage I: In Stage I, the tumor is two centimeters or smaller and has not spread outside the breast. Its five-year survival rate is approximately 88%.
Stage II: There are two types of Stage II breast cancer, which are differentiated by the size of the tumor found and whether cancer cells can be found in the axillary lymph nodes. Overall, a Stage II diagnosis carries a five-year survival rate of 66%.Stage III: There are three types of Stage III breast cancer, all of which involve a spread of the cancer to either axillary lymph nodes that are attached to each other or to other structures, or to lymph nodes beneath the collarbone and near the neck.
Stage IIIC: Stage IIIC breast cancer has an 'operable' and an 'inoperable' form, which is differentiated by whether the spread is to lymph nodes beneath the collarbone (operable) or above the collarbone (inoperable). The Stage III diagnoses carries a five-year survival rate of 36%.
Stage IV: In Stage IV breast cancer, the tumor cells have spread to other organs in the body, such as the bones, lungs, liver, or brain. Stage IV carries a five-year survival rate of 7%.
Other prognostic indicators
Your cancer's staging may be a crucial element in determining your prognosis, but there are other factors that go into the equation. These include:- The type of breast cancer diagnosed
- The hormone-receptor status of the cancer cells (i.e., whether they are estrogen-receptor and/or pregesterone receptor positive or negative)
- Age, overall health, and menopausal status
- Whether the cancer is new or is a recurrence of a previous bout with the disease.
See also
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Latest page update: made by
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, Nov 22 2007, 1:47 AM EST
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Keyword tags:
Breast cancer
Diagnosis
prognosis
recurrence
Staging
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
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| betteporter68 | Survival Stats | 0 | Oct 1 2008, 9:35 AM EDT by betteporter68 | |
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Thread started: Oct 1 2008, 9:35 AM EDT
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The survival stats on this page seem very outdated. I'm not sure where they came from. For example, in Stage III it says the 5-year survival rate is about 36%. According to many other available sources and the American Cancer Society, the 5-year survival rate for Stage III is more like 57%. That's quite a difference! Plus, the survival stats that are available are several years old and do not include many of the newer treatments being offered. Just some food for thought.
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| Louise | Invasive lobular carcinoma | 1 | Mar 2 2007, 8:14 PM EST by Anonymous | |
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Thread started: Feb 4 2007, 11:21 PM EST
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Does anyone have experience with invasive lobular carcinoma? My mom's pathology came back, and the diagnosis was invasive lobular carcinoma, grade three. I think she also said it was Stage III, but if I remember correctly she also said there was no lymph node involvement. Would this mean it isn't a stage III but rather a stage II?
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