According to information from the Mayo Clinic, breast cancer most commonly occurs in either the milk ducts of the breasts or in the lobules (the structures in the breast that actually produce milk). Symptoms of breast cancer include discharge from the nipple, changes in the shape or size of the breast or a lump found in the breast or armpit area. Once breast cancer has been diagnosed, the next step is to determine its stage--or how far the cancer has managed to develop before being detected.
Instructions
1. Understand the characteristics of the various stages of breast cancer before attempting to diagnose which stage any particular case of breast cancer is in. There are five main stages of breast cancer (0, I, II, III and IV). During stage 0, the cancer is still confined to the actual milk duct and has not spread at all. During stage I, the tumor is less than 2 centimeters across. During stage II, the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but smaller than 5 centimeters. During stage III, the tumor has spread to between one to 10 lymph nodes. During stage IV, the cancer has spread throughout the body to organs besides the breast (metastasized).
2. Conduct non-invasive testing to determine how far the cancer has spread. These tests include X-rays or computed tomography, mammograms, MRIs, ultrasounds and positron emission tomography (PET) scans. While the methodology of all these tests are different, they are all suited toward ferreting out the presence of suspicious cells throughout your body. Consult with your doctor to determine which test or tests are appropriate for your particular situation.
3. Consider invasive testing to conclusively determine whether or not suspicious cells are cancerous, thereby allowing a complete diagnosis for how far the cancer has spread, thus determining the stage of breast cancer. This form of testing is primarily done via biopsy. During a biopsy, your physician will insert a needle into the suspected cancerous tissue and remove a small sample for further analysis in a lab. The lab will reach a final determination on whether the tissue is cancerous, providing you with a final word on what stage of breast cancer the disease has reached.
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