Early Stage Breast Cancer

A "tumor" is an abnormal growth that can be "benign" or "malignant." Benign breast tumors do not threaten life and do not spread to other parts of the body. Malignant breast tumors are cancers that may threaten life and may spread to other parts of the body. A malignant tumor that grows into surrounding tissues is called "invasive." Invasive tumors are more likely to spread to other parts of the body than non-invasive tumors.

Invasive breast cancer is categorized as Stage I, II, III, or IV. Stages I and II are considered "early stage" invasive breast cancer and generally refer to smaller tumors that have not yet spread to distant parts of the body.