Breast Cancer Stages
Doctors diagnose and classify breast cancer, including hormone receptor-positive, according to stages (stages 0 through 4). To determine the stage of breast cancer, your doctor will consider three important factors: tumor size, nodal status, and metastasis.
The size of the primary tumor is one of the main distinguishing characteristics of the cancer stage.
Nodal status indicates the presence or absence of cancer cells in glands or lymph nodes—small, bean-shaped organs that make and store cells that fight infection. The lymph nodes are found in many places in the body, including under the arms, behind the ears, and in the groin. Nodal status helps to define the stage of breast cancer.
Metastasis describes cancer that has spread from the affected breast to other areas of the body such as soft tissue (tissue of the opposite breast, distant lymph nodes, or skin), organs (the liver or lungs), or bone.
Stages 0, 1, and 2 are considered early stage breast cancer.
Stage 0
Ductal or lobular carcinoma in situ is very early breast cancer that has not spread beyond the duct or lobule.
Stage 1
A stage 1 tumor is 2 cm or smaller and has not spread outside the breast.
Stage 2A
In stage 2A breast cancer, no tumor is found in the breast but cancer is found in the axillary lymph nodes, the tumor is 2 cm or smaller and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, or the tumor is 2 to 5 cm but has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
Stage 2B
In stage 2B breast cancer, the tumor is 2 to 5 cm and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, or the tumor is larger than 5 cm but still confined to the breast.
Stage 3A
In stage 3A breast cancer, no tumor is found in the breast but cancer cells have spread to the axillary lymph nodes that are attached to each other or other structures, the tumor is 5 cm or smaller and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes that are attached to each other or other structures, or the tumor is larger than 5 cm and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes that may or may not be attached to each other or other structures.
Stage 3B
A stage 3B tumor has spread to tissue near the breast (the skin or chest wall, including the ribs and chest muscles) and may have spread to lymph nodes within the breast area or under the arm.
Stage 3C
In stage 3C, the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes beneath the collarbone and near the neck and may have spread to the lymph nodes within the breast area or under the arm and to the tissues near the breast.
Stage 4
In stage 4, the tumor has spread to other organs of the body such as the bones, lungs, liver, or brain.
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Indication Important Safety Information Femara is only indicated in postmenopausal women. You should not take Femara if you are premenopausal. Your doctor should discuss the need for adequate birth control if you have the potential to become pregnant, if you are not sure of your postmenopausal status, or if you recently became postmenopausal. You should not take Femara if you are pregnant as it may cause harm to an unborn child. You should also discuss with your doctor what to do if you are nursing a child. The use of Femara may cause decreases in the density of your bones, increases in bone fractures and osteoporosis. Monitoring of the density of your bones may be required. Some patients taking Femara had an increase in cholesterol. Your doctor may require the monitoring of cholesterol in your blood. Some women reported fatigue, dizziness and drowsiness with Femara. Until you know how it affects you, use caution before driving or operating machinery. Some women had moderate, temporary decreases in white blood cell counts. The medical significance of this is not known. The most serious side effects seen with Femara are bone effects (fractures, decreased bone density and osteoporosis) and increases in cholesterol. Other common side effects seen with Femara include joint pain, nausea, weight decrease, vaginal irritiation, and pain in the extremitites. Other important less commonly reported side effects include blood clots, other cancers, stroke, heart attack and endometrial cancer. Femara is a once-daily, convenient prescription tablet. Your doctor may tell you to take Femara every other day if you have severe liver disease. Always take your medicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor. For full prescribing information, please click here. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 
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