Where the disease has not metastasized, the five-year
survival rate for women suffering from breast cancer is
about 86%. That percentage means that 86% of women who
develop breast cancer live for at least five years after
diagnosis. The good news is that depending on the stage it
is discovered, the survival rate can be even higher than
the overall average.
As with most cancers, breast cancer, develops in stages. A
standard classification of letters and numbers is used to
describe the stages - T, N and M and 0-IV. T depicts tumor
size, N signifies a spread to lymph nodes and M describes
distant metastasis. When a primary tumor spreads to another
area/s and forms more tumors, it has metastasized.
When a tumor cannot be assessed, it is designated the
classification of TX. Where there is no indication of
cancer, T0 is used. If one of the following forms is
suspected - DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), LCIS (lobular
carcinoma in situ) or Paget's disease (where the nipple
and/or areola is cancerous) - Tis is used.
Stage 0 indicates that the cancer is in its earliest stage.
Stage I indicates that tumors have not spread and are less
than 2cm in size. A tumor that is 2-5cm in diameter is
classified as Stage II, and a tumor larger than 5cm is
considered Stage III. When a tumor has attached to the
chest wall and spread to the lymph nodes it is considered
to be Stage IV.
Today, due to medical advances, many breast cancers are
diagnosed and treated during the early stages.
Treatment received in Stage 0 and Stage I results in men
and women having five year survival rates of almost 100%.
And yes, men can develop breast cancer, though at a far
lower rate of 1/133 when compared to women. The survival
rate for those with Stage II cancer is between 81%-92%. At
Stage III the rate lowers to 67%, and then drops
substantially to 20% at Stage IV.
Despite being a serious condition, breast cancer is now
rarely life threatening. Even sufferers of later stage
cancers often survive past seven years. As technology and
medicine advance, survival rates increase. Even later stage
cancer survival rates are rising as medical and treatment
methods improve.
The QM-MSP (quantitative multiplex methylation-specific
PCR) is one such new method of diagnosis. Discovered in
2001, it uses fluid from the breast and tests the chemicals
contained in the fluid. The chemical analysis undertaken
during this test allows cancer to be detected with 86%
reliability, and cancer clumps with as little as 50 cells
can found. Treatment given in the early stages is highly
effective, and new methods like this allow cancer to be
diagnosed at the earliest possible stage.
Treatments are also improving, with hormone therapy,
targeted radiation and molecule specific drugs now readily
available.
Breast cancer is no longer the death sentence it used to
be. While still serious, the odds of beating this disease
are high, and treatments are far less invasive than in the
past.
----------------------------------------------------
Moses Wright is a health conscious webmaster. He sets up
this site to help people learn more about breast cancer.
You can get more useful resources at:
http://www.healthfitnesswellbeing.com/breast_cancer.htm
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