Whenever a person receives a diagnosis of cancer of any kind, you inevitably think backward to prior recognition of abnormal symptoms that may have been missed and then forward with hopefulness to cancer treatments. Spotting symptoms in their early stages usually leads to positive results.

In the U.S., over 90 percent of breast cancer diagnoses happen during the early breast cancer stages. Early detection is good news for the patient as it often translates to effective treatment.

However, this is only a portion of the whole clinical picture. Various characteristics, like lymph node engagement and receptor status, can help prognosticate outcome and aid in choosing a treatment selection, making them critical factors for survival.

Though breast cancer rates are increasing in North America and the United Kingdom, the fatality rate is falling. This declining death rate is accredited to more women getting mammograms, better evaluation processes, and more potent secondary treatments.

Thus if the majority of diagnosed breast cancer cases are discovered during the preliminary stages, what effect does that have on patients and what are the best treatment courses?

The Early Stages of Breast Cancer

Earlier breast cancer stages are called TNM stages 1, 2 and 3a. This scoring system approximates how far the carcinoma has advanced. It’s also based on whether any present tumors are operable.

The majority of early breast cancer cases are cured through either surgery, radiation therapy, systemic therapy or a combination of the three, resulting in a much greater survival rate.

Typical Treatment Response

Treatment response typically depends on lymph node involvement, the grade and size of tumors, estrogen and progesterone receptors, the status of biologic markers such as HER2/neu and the patient’s age.

Lymph Node Indicators

One of the most effective prognostic indicators for breast cancer are lymph nodes. As the number of positive lymph nodes increases, survival rates decrease and relapse rates go on the uprise.

Commonly, patients with earlier stage breast cancer are classified into either those presenting negative nodes, 1 to 3 positive lymph nodes, 4 to 9 positive nodes, or 10 and more nodes.

The Size of Tumor

Tumor size is another indicator and can be especially useful for patients with negative lymph nodes. Essentially, if a patient has negative nodes and a tumor that is less than 1cm, the prognosis is very favorable.

The Grade of Tumor

As the grade of the tumor increases, so does the potential relapse rate. However, due to the unreliability of tumor data, most pathologists do not rely on this information for their prognosis.

Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors

Estrogen and progesterone receptors within the tumor is also used to prognosticate breast cancer during the earlier stages. Generally, those patients with a receptor-positive form of breast cancer tend to have a better prognosis and survival rate than those who don’t.

HER2/neu as an Indicator

HER2/neu is what’s called a marker - it’s a biological element typically present in the body or within the tumor in about 25% of all breast cancer cases. When HER2/neu levels are high, that usually translates to a more aggressive variety of breast cancer and a worse prognosis.

Age of the Patient

Concerning various breast cancer stages, normally older patients (over the age of 50) have a stronger prognosis than younger patients (under the age of 35).