Stages and grades of breast cancer – what do they mean?
Staging and grading Staging of breast cancer The stage of a cancer describes its size and whether it has spread beyond its original site. Knowing the particular type and the stage of the cancer helps the doctors to decide on the most appropriate treatment. In some people, cancer can spread to other parts of the body, either in the blood stream or through the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the body’s defences against infection and disease. The system is made up of a network of lymph glands, or nodes, that are linked by fine ducts containing lymph fluid. Your doctors will usually look at the nearby lymph nodes when staging your cancer. Generally breast cancer is divided into four stages, from stage 1, which is small and localised, to stage 4, where the disease has spread to other parts of the body. If the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, this is known as secondary or metastatic cancer.
