The breast and cancerEarly stage breast cancer

Doctors use the term "stage" to refer to the extent of cancer within the body. Knowing the stage of your cancer can help you and your doctor determine your best treatment plan. The term "early breast cancer" usually refers to stages of breast cancer labeled 0, I, II, and IIIA.

Early stages of breast cancer. Breast cancer stage 0.

Click to enlarge

Stage 0. The cancer is also called noninvasive breast cancer. The cancer cells are present in either the lining of a breast lobule or a duct, but they have not spread to the surrounding fatty tissue. There are two kinds of stage 0 breast cancer — ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, and lobular carcinoma in situ, or LCIS.

Early stages of breast cancer. Breast cancer stage 1.

Click to enlarge

Stage I. The cancer has spread from the lobules or ducts to nearby tissue in the breast. At this stage and beyond, breast cancer is considered to be invasive. The tumor is 2 cm or less in diameter (approximately 1 inch or less); cancer has not spread to the axillary (underarm) lymph nodes.

Early stages of breast cancer. Breast cancer stage 2.

Click to enlarge

Stage II. The tumor can range from 2 cm to less than 5 cm in diameter (approximately 1 to 2 inches) and the cancer may have spread to the axillary (underarm) lymph nodes, or the tumor is larger than 5 cm but has not spread to the lymph nodes.

Early stages of breast cancer. Breast cancer stage 3.

Click to enlarge

Stage IIIA. The tumor is smaller than 5 cm in diameter (2 inches). The cancer has spread to axillary (underarm) lymph nodes that are attached to each other or to other structures. Or, the tumor is greater than 5 cm in diameter (approximately 2 inches or greater) and has spread to the axillary (underarm) lymph nodes.

back to top

A pathology report provides important information to help your doctor determine your stage of breast cancer. Along with other factors, knowing the stage of your breast cancer will help you and your doctor determine the treatment plan that is right for you.

To view the download, you need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® installed. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can download it from the Adobe Web site.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Important Information About ARIMIDEX

ARIMIDEX is approved for adjuvant treatment (treatment following surgery with or without radiation) of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer.

ARIMIDEX is approved for the initial treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive or hormone receptor-unknown locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer and for the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer that has progressed following treatment with tamoxifen. Patients with hormone receptor-negative disease and patients who did not previously respond to tamoxifen therapy rarely responded to ARIMIDEX.

Important Safety Information About ARIMIDEX

  • Prescription ARIMIDEX is only for postmenopausal women. ARIMIDEX should not be taken if you are pregnant because it may harm your unborn child
  • Based on information from a study in patients with early breast cancer, women with a history of blockages in heart arteries (ischemic heart disease) who take ARIMIDEX may have a slight increase in this type of heart disease compared to similar patients who take tamoxifen
  • ARIMIDEX can cause bone softening/weakening (osteoporosis) increasing the chance of fractures. In a clinical study in early breast cancer, there were more fractures (including fractures of the spine, hip, and wrist) with ARIMIDEX (10%) than with tamoxifen (7%)
  • In a clinical study in early breast cancer, some patients taking ARIMIDEX had an increase in cholesterol. Skin reactions, allergic reactions, and changes in blood tests of liver function have also been reported
  • In the early breast cancer clinical trial, the most common side effects seen with ARIMIDEX include hot flashes, joint symptoms (including arthritis and arthralgia), weakness, mood changes, pain, back pain, sore throat, nausea and vomiting, rash, depression, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, fractures, swelling of arms/legs, insomnia, and headache
  • In advanced breast cancer trials, the most common side effects seen with ARIMIDEX versus tamoxifen include hot flashes, nausea, decreased energy and weakness, pain, back pain, headache, bone pain, increased cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and swelling of arms and legs. Joint pain/stiffness has been reported in association with the use of ARIMIDEX
  • ARIMIDEX should not be taken with tamoxifen or estrogen-containing therapies

Please click here for full Prescribing Information.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).