Advanced Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is considered advanced when it has spread from its original site to distant areas of the body. Physicians will look at a number of factors to determine the stage of breast cancer, including tumor size, lymph node involvement, and whether the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. Once the stage of the disease is determined, there are two different ways advanced breast cancer can be classified: locally advanced or metastatic.

Locally advanced breast cancer
The term locally advanced breast cancer indicates that the cancer is large (greater than 2 inches) or may have spread to other nearby tissue, such as underarm lymph nodes. Locally advanced breast cancer is considered Stage III, and if it is operable, it is referred to as Stage IIIA.

Recurrent breast cancer
Recurrent breast cancer is breast cancer that has come back (recurred) after a period of time when it could not be detected. It may recur locally in the breast or chest wall. Or it may recur in any other part of the body, such as the bone, liver, or lungs.