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What Does Stage Four Of Metastasis After Mammogram Indicate?

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Posted on Wed, 22 Oct 2014
Question: I resently had a biopsy,scan and mammogram done.AFter a week I was called back for another biopsy and the doctor told me she graded me three and the pathologist graded me four.What does this mean?
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Answered by Dr. Indu Kumar (55 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Stage four indicate distant metastasis.

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXX

Sorry to know about your illness.There are four stages of breast cancer.
Breast cancer staging depend upon size of tumour,lymph node involvement and metastasis.

Stage III is divided into subcategories known as IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC.

Stage IIIA indicates no tumour is seen in the breast or the tumour may be any size and cancer is found in 4 to 9 lymph glands under the arm or in the lymph glands near the breastbone
or
The tumour is larger than 5cm and small clusters of breast cancer cells are in the lymph nodes
or
The tumour is more than 5cm and has spread into up to 3 lymph nodes in the armpit or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone.

Stage IIIB indicates that tumour has spread to the skin of the breast or to the chest wall and made an ulcer or caused swelling.The cancer may have spread to up to 9 lymph nodes in the armpit or to the lymph glands near the breastbone.

Stage IIIC indicate tumour can be any size or there may be no tumour but there is cancer in the skin of the breast causing swelling or an ulcer and it has spread to the chest wall. It has also spread to
10 or more lymph nodes in the armpit.
Lymph nodes above or below the collar bone.
Lymph nodes in the armpit and near the breastbone.

Stage IV describes invasive breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast and lymph nodes to other organs of the body such as the lungs,distant lymph nodes, skin,bones,liver or brain.

Get well soon.
Hope I have answered your question.
Further queries are most welcome.

Take Care
Dr.Indu XXXXXXX
Note: Revert back with your gynae reports to get a clear medical analysis by our expert Gynecologic Oncologist. Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Indu Kumar

Radiologist

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 6728 Questions

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What Does Stage Four Of Metastasis After Mammogram Indicate?

Brief Answer: Stage four indicate distant metastasis. Detailed Answer: Hello XXXX Sorry to know about your illness.There are four stages of breast cancer. Breast cancer staging depend upon size of tumour,lymph node involvement and metastasis. Stage III is divided into subcategories known as IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC. Stage IIIA indicates no tumour is seen in the breast or the tumour may be any size and cancer is found in 4 to 9 lymph glands under the arm or in the lymph glands near the breastbone or The tumour is larger than 5cm and small clusters of breast cancer cells are in the lymph nodes or The tumour is more than 5cm and has spread into up to 3 lymph nodes in the armpit or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone. Stage IIIB indicates that tumour has spread to the skin of the breast or to the chest wall and made an ulcer or caused swelling.The cancer may have spread to up to 9 lymph nodes in the armpit or to the lymph glands near the breastbone. Stage IIIC indicate tumour can be any size or there may be no tumour but there is cancer in the skin of the breast causing swelling or an ulcer and it has spread to the chest wall. It has also spread to 10 or more lymph nodes in the armpit. Lymph nodes above or below the collar bone. Lymph nodes in the armpit and near the breastbone. Stage IV describes invasive breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast and lymph nodes to other organs of the body such as the lungs,distant lymph nodes, skin,bones,liver or brain. Get well soon. Hope I have answered your question. Further queries are most welcome. Take Care Dr.Indu XXXXXXX