LYMPH NODES

• Do any lymph nodes contain cancer cells?
• How many lymph nodes have cancer cells?
• The fewer involved the better

TUMOR SIZE

• The smaller the size the better

LOCATION

• Is the tumor localized (isolated in the affected breast)?
• Has it spread to lymph nodes?
• Has it spread to distant parts of the body (metastasized)?

HORMONE RECEPTOR STATUS

• Estrogen and progesterone can act as food for some breast cancers. There are receptors (like an electrical socket in the wall) on the surface of breast cancer cells. When a tumor is “estrogen receptor (ER) positive” or “progesterone receptor (PR) positive” it means that estrogen and/or progesterone when inserted (much like an electrical plus) into the receptor will stimulate that cell to multiply.
• When ER and/or PR status is positive it allows for additional treatment options involving medications that act to block the connection between the hormones and the receptors.

S-PHASE FRACTION

• This measures how actively a tumor is growing
• A high S-phase fraction indicates an aggressive tumor

GRADING

• Low grade tumors are the least abnormal
• High grade tumors are the most abnormal
• The lower the grade of the tumor the better
• Grades go from 1-3

STAGE OF DISEASE

• All of the above factors determine the stage of disease
• Staging is a measurement of the extent of cancer present within a patient. There are 4 stages: Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, and Stage IV. The higher the staging number, the more advanced the cancer.

Using all of this information, Evergreen’s multidisciplinary team analyzes each case to determine the most effective treatment. This team is made up of experts in all areas of cancer treatment at Evergreen and includes radiologists, pathologists, surgeons and both medical and radiation oncologists. This close working relationship between the different branches of cancer diagnosis and treatment provide Evergreen patients with the best ideas from some of the brightest minds in their fields.