Stages of inflammatory breast cancer

If you've been diagnosed with IBC, you'll want to know what stage it is. The answer will help you and your doctor know more about what is ahead and decide your treatments. Staging is the extent or severity of an individual's cancer. For inflammatory breast cancer once the tests are complete, your doctor will describe inflammatory breast cancer as stage IIIB, stage IIIC, or state IV.

Stage IIIB means the cancer has spread to tissues near the breast, such as the skin or chest wall, including the ribs and muscles in the chest. The cancer may have spread to lymph nodes within the breast or under the are, making it micro-metastatic.

Stage IIIC means the cancer has spread to lymph nodes beneath the collarbone and near the neck. The breast cancer also may have spread to lymph nodes within the breast or under the arm and to tissues near the breast.

Stage IV means that the cancer has spread to other organs. These can include the bones, lungs, liver, and/or brain, as well as the lymph nodes in the neck.