Women’s Health Breast Cancer Stages And Treatment Side Effects
The stages of breast cancer are based on tumor size and if the cancer has spread. The following are the stages of breast cancer.
Stages of Breast Cancer
Stage O or Noninvasive Carcinoma
The two types of Stage O breast cancer are lobular carcinoma in situ and ductal carcinoma in situ. Lobular carcinoma is abnormal cells in the lobule. Ductal carcinomas are abnormal cells in the lining of the duct.
Stage I
Stage I breast cancer means the cancerous tumor isn’t any larger than two inches and hasn’t spread to any other areas of the body.
Stage II A and B
Stage II A is either of the following:
• The tumor is not larger than one inch across and the cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes.
• The tumor is one to two inches and has not spread to the lymph nodes.
Stage II B means either of the following:
• The tumor is larger than two inches and hasn’t spread.
• The tumor is approximately one to two inches and has spread.
Those with early stages of breast cancer may have breast surgery to retract the cancer followed by radiation therapy. The surgery will depend on certain factors when it comes to the removal of the breasts and cancerous areas.
Stage III A and B
Stage III breast cancer is also known as locally advanced cancer.
Stage III A refers to the following:
• The cancerous area is smaller than two inches and has spread to the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes are attached to each other or to other structures in the body.
• The cancerous area is larger than two inches and has spread to the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes could be attached to other areas.
Stage III B refers to the following:
• The cancer has spread to the skin or chest wall which can include the ribs and muscles in the chest.
• The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes inside the chest wall along the breastbone.
Inflammatory carcinoma. Inflammatory carcinoma is named this because of its typical clinical presentation. In cases of the inflammatory carcinoma because of the infection, the outcome for prognosis is very bad.
Stage IV
Stage IV is a metastatic breast cancer and refers to the following:
• The cancer has spread to other organs such as the bones, liver, lungs or brain.
• The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the neck, close to the collar bone area.
Recurrent Cancer
Recurrent cancer definition is that the cancer can recur even if the tumerous area has been destroyed or removed and after all treatments have been used.
In many occurrences, the recurrent cancer will occur within the first two or three years after treatment. The distant recurrences happen when the cancer returns to another section of the body and is called metastatic breast cancer. If the cancer returns in the area where the surgery was performed, this is known as local recurrence.
Breast Cancer Side Effects
Side effects of treatment happens when the healthy tissues and cells are damaged due to the cancer treatments. The extent and types of treatment will also play a roll in the side effects.
Surgery Side Effects
Short-term pain and tenderness in the area that had surgery are two types of side effects. If you experience any of the following after surgery, poor wound healing, infections, anesthesia reactions, or bleeding after surgery, you should peek your doctor or nurse immediately.
After a woman has a mastectomy, their weight may become out of balance. This imbalance of weight distribution can cause pain and discomfort in the back and neck. A woman’s skin may also be tight and the arm and should muscles could feel stiff. In cases of muscle stiffness, the patient may need to see a physical therapist to help regain movement in these areas.
Radioactive Therapy Side Effects
Side effects of radiation therapy are feelings of extreme tiredness and red, dry, itchy skin. When a breast cancer patient feels extremely tired, receiving the proper amount of rest is important, but staying active when energy levels permit is also important. At the end of the radiation therapy, the skin may become weepy and moist. It is important to indicate the area to air as often as possible to help in the healing process. It is also important to wear lose fitting cotton clothes so that the area of the surgery isn’t being rubbed by tight fitting clothing.
Chemotherapy Side Effects
The side effects of chemotherapy occur due to the drugs and doses that are used. The anticancer drugs affect the cells that are rapidly dividing. This can included blood cells, hair roots, and digestive tract lining cells. Some side effects of the chemotherapy drugs because of this may include mouth or leg sores, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, and loss of appetite.
Some of the anticancer drugs used with chemotherapy can cause damage to the ovaries which can cause symptoms of menopause due to the nonreproduction of hormones. While some of the long term side effects are rare, such as the heart being weakened and secondary cancers like leukemia can occur, a woman may also become pregnant.
Hormonal Therapy Side Effects
The most accepted type of hormonal therapy treatment is tamoxifan. Tomoxifan blocks the use of estrogen that cancer cells use.
The serious side effects are rare with Tomoxifan but the drugs can cause blood clots in the lungs and in the blood veins especially in the legs. Tomoxifan has also increased the risks of strokes in a small number of women.
Biological Therapy Side Effects
The side effect s with the biological therapy treatments varies from patient to patient. With the biological therapy popular side effects are swelling or rashes and symptoms of the flu may occur.
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Filed under Long Term Chemotherapy Side Effects by on Dec 1st, 2011. 