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Understanding your early breast cancer diagnosis

If you've been diagnosed with early breast cancer (eBC for short), you probably have a lot of questions. Here's some information about your condition, a treatment option, and tips on how to speak with your health care team.

What's early breast cancer?

Let's start with the diagnosis. Early breast cancer means that the cancer is found only in the breast or nearby lymph nodes. It also means it has not spread to other parts of the body.

Real facts & stats about breast cancer

In the United States alone, there will be over 321,900 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2026. This doesn't include the estimated 2,670 men who will also be diagnosed. Developing the right treatment plan with your doctor is an important first step.

Stages of early breast cancer

The stage of a cancer describes how much cancer is in the body. Knowing the stage helps determine how serious the cancer is and how best to treat it. Stages 0, 1, 2, and 3 are considered early breast cancer.

The cancer is in the same part of the breast as it started, sometimes called noninvasive breast cancer.

The tumor is small and either has not spread or may have spread in small amounts to lymph nodes close to the breast.

The tumor is a little larger and/or has spread to more lymph nodes than in stage 1 cancer.

The tumor may be larger, may have started growing into nearby tissue, or may have spread to many nearby lymph nodes. Stage 3 is also called locally advanced breast cancer.

There are 4 main subtypes of early breast cancer:

A subtype is a way of grouping cancer by what fuels its growth. Breast cancer subtypes are made up of 2 different parts: hormone receptor (HR) status and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status.

Breast cancer subtypes may determine:
• How your cancer responds to different treatments
• How you and your doctor decide what treatment options are right for you

HR+, HER2- cancer cells have hormone receptors and make small amounts or no amounts of HER2 protein.

HR+, HER2+ cancer cells have hormone receptors and make high levels of HER2 protein.

HR-, HER2+ cancer cells don't have hormone receptors but do make high levels of HER2 protein.

Triple-negative cancer cells don't have hormone receptors for estrogen or progesterone. They also make low to no amounts of the HER2 protein.

DID YOU KNOW?

HR+, HER2- breast cancer is the most common subtype, accounting for about 70% of all breast cancer cases.

Tips for talking to your doctor about breast cancer:

	Discuss your treatment options When you're first diagnosed, the focus is on killing cancer cells. Be sure to ask your doctor about surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, which may be used to accomplish this goal. The focus of treatment will then shift to preventing your cancer from coming back. Ask your doctor about treatments that can help lower your risk of recurrence.
	Establish your treatment goals Work with your doctor and health care team to create a treatment plan that can help you achieve those goals.
	Make a list of questions for your next appointment The more prepared you are, the more productive the conversation with your doctor may be.