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.

A tumor is noted as TX when it defies assessment. 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 1 means that the tumors are less than 2cm long and the cancerous cells have not spread. 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. Women who have advanced stages of cancer have been known to live for more than seven years. The chances for survival go up as the world improves in its medical and technological know-how. Even later stage cancer survival rates are rising as medical and treatment methods improve.

A fairly new method of diagnosing cancer is the QM-MSP (quantitative multiplex methylation-specific PCR) method. 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.

You can find more resources on Breast Cancer Stages, Breast Cancer Self Exam and Survival Rates of Breast Cancer by following the links.

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