Some examples are Paget's Disease , a cancerous growth that first appears as scaling of the nipple, and inflammatory cancer , a rare and relatively fast-growing cancer that causes redness and swelling of the breast, and may not form a distinct mass. Distinctions such as medullary , mucinous , tubular , and papillary generally refer to characteristics of ductal carcinoma and are best explained by a physician when applicable to an individual patient. The danger of breast cancer is its ability to spread to the lymph nodes under the arms or to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads to the lymph nodes or to other parts of the body this is called metastasis . The Stages of Breast Cancer Stage is important in predicting the likelihood of distant spread or metastasis.
Stage also influences treatment planning and determines prognosis.
As stage of cancer increases, the risk of metastasis increases. Stage and presence of metastases will influence treatment. Staging of a breast cancer occurs after the surgical sample is examined by the pathologist. In situ , or Paget's Disease of the nipple. Stage 1 - The tumor is equal to or smaller than 2 centimeters.