Stages of breast cancer

Breast cancer is classified in stages according to whether it has spread. Stage IV is advanced or metastatic cancer, where the cancer has spread (metastasised) to other parts of the body. Between 10-15% of new cases of breast cancer are at the advanced stage, and around 40-50% of patients diagnosed with early breast cancer will go onto to develop advanced disease. In total, about 12,000 cases of advanced breast cancer present each year.

Once the cancer has reached this stage, it is, in most cases, incurable: the goals of treatment are to extend the time it takes for the cancer to worsen (progress), and hence, to prolong the patient’s life, and to control the symptoms, with as few side effects as possible.