By Dr. Kathleen Ruddy
As a woman, you have a 12.5 percent chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in your lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society, almost 300,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in 2012. Modern medicine, combined with increased awareness of early warning signs, makes breast cancer a highly curable disease when caught early. How curable depends, in part, on the size of the tumor at the time of diagnosis. Your doctor uses a standardized tumor size chart to determine your prognosis.
What is a tumor size chart?
A tumor size chart provides your doctor with a reference of how different sizes, stages and types of tumors affect prognosis and treatment. Tumor size is measured in centimeters. Tumor stages are described with Roman numerals. Tumor types are described as in situ, which is also called noninvasive, or as invasive, also known as infiltrating. Tumor types are further broken down based on where in the breast they are located.
How is the size of a tumor measured?
Tumor size is measured in centimeters. One centimeter is a little less than half an inch, or the approximate width of the nail on your pinky finger. On a tumor size chart, tumors are usually represented as circles or spheres, and are captioned with the appropriate centimeter measurement.
EDITOR’S TIP:
If you are looking for some natural remedies for breast cancer tumors, there are a medley of options to consider. Though your cancer is not cured, your immune system is bolstered to help fight the cancerous tissues to a degree. Some of these home treatments include a balanced diet, vitamin D, calcium and the consumption of fruits and vegetables, like broccoli and grapes.
How does a doctor determine the stage of a tumor?
Using the tumor size chart, your doctor determines the tumor size, whether nearby lymph nodes are affected and whether there is metastasis of the tumor. This group of factors determines the stage of the tumor. This type of staging is called TNM staging, for Tumor Size, Nearby Nodes and Metastasis. The stage is then further defined by grouping it into an overall stage, using Roman numerals from 0 to IV, from least serious to most serious.
How do size and stage affect prognosis?
As a very general rule, the smaller a tumor, and the lower the stage, the better the prognosis for five year survival rate. A tumor smaller than 1 centimeter, and in stage 0, I or II offers a 93 percent chance of five year survival. As size and stage increase, five year survival rates decrease.
A tumor size chart is a helpful tool in determining the proper course of treatment as well as prognosis for a breast cancer patient. However, you should keep in mind that cancer treatments and individual responses are highly dependent on a number of factors, such as overall health of the patient and family history. Talk to your doctor about your concerns. Together, you can craft the best outcome for your circumstances.
If you’d like to receive more information about breast cancer and find out what the Breast Health and Healing Foundation is doing to battle the disease, please sign up for our newsletter. You can sign up here: http://breasthealthandhealing.org/im-in/.
No comments:
Post a Comment