Think Pinker

In my fourth addition to the different stages of breast cancer, today I present you with Stage III. Stage III breast cancer is divided into three sub-categories known as A, B, and C.

Stage III A

·         There is no tumor found in the breast, cancer may have spread to the lymph nodes that are near or close to the breast bone, cancer is found in the axillary lymph nodes, OR

·         The tumor is smaller than five centimeters and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes that are may be sticking to other structures, OR

·         The same as point two, only the tumor is larger than five centimeters.

Stage III B

·         Any size tumor that has spread to the chest wall or skin of the breast  AND

·         May have spread to lymph nodes located close to breast bone, or lymph nodes that are clumped together.

Inflammatory breast cancer is considered Stage III B at a minimum.

Stage III C

·         No sign of cancer in the breast itself, or any sized tumor that may have spread to the chest or skin of the breast, AND

·         The cancer has spread to the collar bone either above or below, AND

·         May have spread to axillary lymph nodes near breastbone.

As an invasive type of cancer, Stage III is obviously serious, but there is another stage that is worse. ThinkPinker.com will cover this in the next post about the different stages of breast cancer. Keep on hoping, loving, and thinking pink!