Stage I

T1, N0, M0- this means that the cancer is in the breast tissue, but the size of your tumor is less than or about 2 cm (T1). None of your lymph nodes are affected (N0) and no mets (M0). Due to its small size, you might or might not feel a lump, and there are typically no symptoms. It can be detected by a mammogram and is diagnosed with a biopsy.
It is typically treated with surgery: if a lumpectomy is done, radiation therapy usually follows; if a simple mastectomy is done, radiation therapy might not be necessary. But if the tumor is larger than 1 cm, regardless of which surgery is done, chemotherapy might be needed as an adjuvant treatment. Also, if the cancer is found to be estrogen receptor positive, it is likely that you will be put on hormone therapy regardless of tumor size. Like stage 0, stage 1 is an early stage of cancer, so the 5-year survival rate is also close to 100%.

Stage IIA

T0, N1, M0 / T1, N1, M0 / T2, N0, M0 – this stage can mean three different things. The first one means that there was no actual tumor found in your breast (T0), but 1-3 lymph nodes in your armpit have been found to have breast cancer cells (N1). The second one means there is a tumor in your breast but it’s less than or about 2 cm (T1), and 1-3 lymph nodes in your armpit are affected (N1). The third one means tumor size is between 2-5 cm (T2), but none of your lymph nodes are affected (N0). In all cases, there are no mets (M0). Depending on tumor size, you might or might not feel a mass, and symptoms might or might not exist. If lymph nodes in the armpit are affected, you might feel a lump there. Diagnosis involves imaging studies such as a mammogram, along with a biopsy.

Treatment for this stage is similar to treatment for stage I. Surgery could either be a lumpectomy or a simple mastectomy. And again, if you have a lumpectomy, it will likely be followed by radiation therapy. As with stage I, if the tumor is larger than 1 cm, regardless of which surgery is done, chemotherapy might be needed as an adjuvant treatment. Also, if the cancer is found to be estrogen receptor positive, it is likely that you will receive hormone therapy regardless of tumor size. Because stage IIA is still considered a pretty early stage of breast cancer, the 5-year survival rate is above 90%.

Stage IIB

T2, N1, M0 / T3, N0, M0 – this stage can mean one of two things. It could mean tumor size is between 2-5 cm (T2) and 1-3 axillary lymph nodes are affected (N1), or your tumor is larger than 5 cm (T3) but none of your lymph nodes are affected (N0). Either way, there are no other organs or distant sites affected (M0). You might feel a lump in the affected breast and/or the affected armpit (if lymph nodes are involved). There might be a change in the size, shape, or overall appearance of your breast. You might have localized breast pain.

Like stage IIA, diagnosis involves imaging studies and a biopsy. This stage is usually treated with surgery and radiation. (Surgery alone is usually no longer an option). Depending on tumor size, you could either have a lumpectomy or a simple mastectomy. If the size calls for a mastectomy, but you prefer to have a lumpectomy instead to save your breast, you might be given chemotherapy or hormone therapy before surgery to shrink the tumor. But if the tumor doesn’t shrink after the neoadjuvant therapy is completed, a mastectomy will be done, followed by radiation, and possibly by more chemo and/or hormone therapy. Since stage IIB is slightly more advanced than stage IIA, the 5-year survival rate for this stage is above 80%.

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