Breast Cancer

If your doctor still believes the area is suspicious, he or she will arrange for a sample to be taken to determine if it's cancer, either by needle biopsy, aspiration or another type of biopsy. Both tests remove a sample of the tissue that will then be examined by a pathologist.

Staging of breast cancer
As well as detecting breast cancer, or confirming the doctor's initial diagnosis, the tests are also useful in showing the extent (stage) of the cancer. The stage of a cancer is a term used to describe its size and whether it has spread beyond its original site. Knowing the extent of the cancer and the grade helps the doctors to decide on the most appropriate treatment.

Generally breast cancer is divided into 4 stages, from small and localised (stage 1) to spread to other parts of the body (stage 4). If the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body this is known as secondary cancer (or metastatic cancer).

A commonly used staging system is described below:

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): DCIS is when the breast cancer cells are completely contained within the breast ducts (the channels in the breast that carry milk to the nipple), and have not spread into the surrounding breast tissue. This may also be referred to as non-invasive or intraductal cancer, as the cancer cells have not yet spread into the surrounding breast tissue and so usually have not spread into any other part of the body. DCIS is almost always completely curable with treatment.

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) means that cell changes are found in the lining of the lobules of the breast. It can be present in both breasts. It is also referred to as non-invasive cancer as it has not spread into the surrounding breast tissue.

The following stages of breast cancer are known as invasive breast cancer.

Stage 1 tumours: these measure less than two centimetres. The lymph glands in the armpit are not affected and there are no signs that the cancer has spread elsewhere in the body.

Stage 2 tumours: these measure between two and five centimetres, or the lymph glands in the armpit are affected, or both. However, there are no signs that the cancer has spread further.