Quality Cancer Treatment in Pasadena & Los Angeles
At Pasadena CyberKnife, our mission is to help our patients win the fight against cancer through world-class radiation therapy and cancer treatment. Our Pasadena cancer center features some of the brightest minds in cancer treatment and some of the most advanced technology on the market, and we’re committed to designing comprehensive, convenient treatment plans for our patients. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women, and if you or a loved one have been diagnosed, we’re here to help.
Types of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer comes in a number of subtypes, each identified by the location where the tumor forms and the type of cell the tumor originates from. Some of the most common types of breast cancer include:
- Ductal Carcinoma in Situ: This is a noninvasive form of breast cancer in which the tumor cells remain in the lining of the milk ducts.
- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: This cancer also starts in the milk ducts, but the cancer cells have invaded surrounding tissues.
- Triple Negative Breast Cancer: This refers to tumors with cells that test negative for estrogen, progesterone, and HER2/neu receptors.
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer: This is a rare form of breast cancer that often doesn’t form a tumor. Instead, it interferes with the lymphatic system and may cause skin problems.
Stages of Breast Cancer
Similar to many other forms of cancer, the severity of breast cancer is assessed using a four-stage, TNM system. This assesses three main variables:
- Tumor: The size of the primary tumor.
- Node: The extent of spread to the lymph nodes.
- Metastasis: Whether the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body or not.
Staging for breast cancer runs as follows:
- Stage 0: This refers to ductal carcinoma in situ. The cancer cells exist only in the lining of
the milk ducts. - Stage IA: The tumor is less than 2cm across and has not reached lymph nodes or distant sites.
- Stage IB: The tumor is less than 2cm across, but has spread to some axillary (underarm) lymph nodes.
- Stage IIA: The tumor is less than 2cm across and has either spread to axillary lymph nodes, to lymph nodes near the breastbone (mammary lymph nodes), or to both. Alternatively, this may refer to a tumor greater than 2cm across that has not reached any lymph nodes.
- Stage IIB: The tumor is between 2 and 5cm across and has spread to axillary and/or mammary lymph nodes, or the tumor is larger than 5cm across but hasn’t spread to lymph nodes or nearby structures. In any case, the cancer hasn’t spread to distant sites.
- Stage IIIA: Either of the following:
- The tumor is less than 5cm across and has spread to 4-9 axillary lymph nodes, but not to distant sites.
- The tumor is larger than 5cm across, but hasn’t grown into the chest wall or skin. It has spread to 1 to 9 axillary lymph nodes or to mammary lymph nodes, but not to distant sites.
- Stage IIIB: The tumor has grown into the skin or chest wall and may or may not have spread to lymph nodes. It has not spread to distant sites.
- Stage IIIC: The tumor may be any size, but the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in and around the breast. It has not yet metastasized to distant sites.
- Stage IV: The tumor may be any size and may have spread to the lymph nodes to any extent, but it has metastasized to distant sites.
Contact Your Los Angeles, CA Cancer Treatment Center
If you or someone you love has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, we know how trying of an experience this is – but we’re standing by to help. We believe there’s hope no matter what the situation, and with a world-class team of cancer treatment experts and advanced cancer-fighting technology, we are committed to helping you beat cancer. Contact us today to schedule a consultation. We look forward to helping you start on the road to recovery and reclaim the life deserve.