Stage 2 (II) And Stage 2A (IIA) Breast Cancer Overview
What Does It Mean To Have Stage 2 Breast Cancer?
Stage 2 means the breast cancer is growing, but it is still contained in the breast or growth has only extended to the nearby lymph nodes.
This stage is divided into groups: Stage 2A and Stage 2B. The difference is determined by the size of the tumor and whether the breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
For Stage 2 breast cancer, chemotherapy is usually done first, followed by surgery and radiation therapy.
Stage IIA Breast Cancer Means One Of The Following Descriptions Applies.
Either:
No actual tumor is associated with the cancerous cells and less than four auxillary lymph nodes have cancer cells present.
OR
The tumor is less than 2 centimeters and less than four auxillary lymph nodes have cancer cells present.
OR
The tumor is between 2 and 5 centimeters and has not yet spread to the lymph nodes.
Stage IIB Breast Cancer Means One Of The Following Descriptions Applies.
Either:
The tumor is between the 2 and 5 centimeters and has spread to less than four axillary lymph nodes.
OR
The tumor is larger than five centimeters, but has not spread to any axillary lymph nodes.
Medically reviewed June 2023
