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If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, it's natural to feel overwhelmed, to feel a lack of control over this very personal situation. People commonly react to these feelings by obtaining as much information as possible about the disease and available treatment options. Unfortunately, this quest can lead to an "information overload" which can increase the level of frustration and confusion. At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) our goal is to help you sort through this information and provide you with the information you need to take as much control of your stage 2 breast cancer treatment as you'd like
Information on Stage 2 Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a cancerous tumor or malignancy that begins in the tissue of the breast; in advanced stages, beginning in stage 2 breast cancer, the cancer spreads to the lymph nodes found under the arms. While breast cancer can occur in men, it is about 100 times more common in women. Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women.
Breast Cancer Stages
Staging is the process during which your doctor determines the extent, or spread, of the cancer in question, and is extremely important in determining your treatment plan. Breast cancer stages are indicated by Roman numerals 0 through IV (0 through 4); the higher the stage, the more serious the breast cancer. Stage 2 breast cancer, while still a serious disease, is more easily treated than cancer in the later stages.
There are two types of stage 2 breast cancer: stage 2A breast cancer and stage 2B breast cancer:
Stage 2A Breast Cancer Characteristics:
- there is no tumor found in the breast, but cancer is found in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes found under the arm);
- the breast tumor is 2 centimeters (roughly the size of a shelled peanut) or smaller, and cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes;
- the breast tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but smaller than 5 centimeters (roughly the size of a walnut), and the cancer has not metastasized, or spread, to the axillary lymph nodes.
Stage 2B Breast Cancer Characteristics:
- the breast tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not larger than 5 centimeters, and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes;
- the breast tumor is larger than 5 centimeters but has not metastasized.
Stage 2B is the more serious, further advanced disease, but both of these breast cancer stages respond well to treatment, and the stage 2 breast cancer survival rate, whether it is 2A or 2B, is better than that of people with cancer in stages 3 or 4.
Stage 2 Breast Cancer Survival Rate
Breast cancer in stage two is a relatively early phase of the disease, so the stage 2 breast cancer survival rate is quite high. It is important, however, that a person diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer begins a course of treatment right away, before the cancer progresses. In addition, because each person is unique, each case of stage 2 breast cancer is unique and responds differently to treatment. At CTCA your stage 2 breast cancer treatment team will work with you to develop an integrative, individualized treatment plan consisting of time-tested conventional therapies, new and innovative methods, and complementary, alternative therapies.
Properly diagnosing and staging your breast cancer allows your treatment team to provide the necessary treatments to develop a comprehensive plan that can positively affect and improve your immediate health and your overall quality of life. At CTCA we offer many treatment methods, all of which are conducted under one roof, in a caring environment unlike most other medical centers.
Stage 2 Breast Cancer Treatment
Conventional stage 2 breast cancer treatment can consist of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of the three.
- Stage 2 breast cancer surgery methods include lumpectomy (the removal of the tumor with some surrounding healthy tissue) and mastectomy, the removal of the entire breast. Your treatment team will work with you to determine if either of these or another surgical method will best treat your stage 2 breast cancer.
- Stage 2 breast cancer radiation methods use radiation to damage the DNA of the cancer cells, destroying and/or weakening them so they can't reproduce. At CTCA we employ leading-edge methods such as High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy and TomoTherapy.
- Chemotherapy for breast cancer in stage 2 involves the use of anti-cancer drugs designed to interfere with cancer cells' rapid development, and may include innovative delivery methods such as Fractionated Dose Chemotherapy.
In order to be able to offer holistic treatment for breast cancer in stage 2, and to design comprehensive plans that treat the mind, body, and spirit, we also provide a number of complementary stage 2 breast cancer treatments. These methods include nutritional support, naturopathic medicine, mind-body medicine, spiritual support, pain management, and physical therapy.
If you are dissatisfied with your current level of stage 2 breast cancer treatment and would like to hear more about Cancer Treatment Centers of America's comprehensive, individualized treatment plans, or would like more information about breast cancer in stage 2 and/or the stage 2 breast cancer survival rate, please contact our Oncology Information Specialists either via online chat, Email, or phone at 800-615-3055. Our OIS team is available for private consultation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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