Stage - Stage refers to the extent, or the level in which breast cancer spreads. According to doctors, breast cancer patients classify from stage 0 to stage IV. Stage 0 is the earliest cancer and stage IV shows doctors that the cancer has spread or metastasized to other parts of the organism. Doctors conduct several tests when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in order to find out the stage of her breast cancer, including imaging tests as well as the possibility to remove lymph nodes.
According to the American Cancer Society, the overall 5 year breast cancer survival rates for localized breast cancer are 98%. The survival rate for breast cancer that has spread to the chest wall or lymph nodes is in the 80% range, and at least a quarter of breast cancer women with metastatic disease survive five years or even more.
Age - Even if it seems controversial, the survival rate for breast cancer patients under the age of 40 is slightly lower than the survival rate for older breast cancer patients. This may be because younger patients develop cancers that grow in a more aggressive way. Women over the age of 40 experience a 7% gain in survival compared to women under the age of 40.
Hormone Receptors - Doctors must always evaluate the tissue of the breast cancer tumor in order to see if the naturally occurring hormones estrogen and progesterone help the cancer grow or not.
Grade - Pathologists can examine breast cancer cells under the microscope in order to determine the grade of the breast cancer tissue. When cancer cells closely resemble to normal breast tissue, the cancer is described as well differentiated or low grade. The one that grow and spread very slowly are the low grade tumors. Breast cancer cells that look abnormal or different from normal breast tissue are described as poorly differentiated or high grade. These cancers grow quickly and may need a more aggressive treatment.
Cell Type - The most common type of breast cancer is epithelial, which refers to the common kind of tissue which lines all hollow organs and all passages of the digestive, respiratory, genital and urinary systems. Scientists have associated some less common breast cancer sub types with a favorable prognosis, including mucinous, medullary and the tubular carcinomas. Some rare types of cancer can also affect the breast tissue, including sarcomas, but they are not usually classified as breast cancer.
Because a cancer patient’s diagnosis depends on so many factors, the doctor is the best person to discuss an individual patient’s survival outlook and treatment. Breast cancer patients should use this discussions in order to be well informed about what they should expect and what is their survival rate.