PIXEL CHECK IF STAGE HAS PLUS

Stage may also be divided into smaller groups that help describe the tumor in even more detail. A centimeter is roughly equal to the width of a standard pen or pencil. Tumor size is measured in centimeters (cm).

PIXEL CHECK IF STAGE HAS PLUS

Using the TNM system, the “T” plus a letter or number (0 to 4) is used to describe the size and location of the tumor. Here are more details on each part of the TNM system for breast cancer: Tumor (T) In general, pathological staging provides the most information to determine a patient’s prognosis. The results are usually available several days after surgery. Pathological staging is based on what is found during surgery to remove breast tissue and lymph nodes.

Clinical staging is based on the results of tests done before surgery, which may include physical examinations, mammogram, ultrasound, and MRI scans. The stage provides a common way of describing the cancer, so doctors can work together to plan the best treatments. There are 5 major stages of breast cancer: stage 0 (zero), which is non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and stages I through IV (1 through 4), which are used for invasive breast cancer. The results are combined to determine the stage of cancer for each person. Metastasis (M): Has the cancer spread to other parts of the body? Node (N): Has the tumor spread to the lymph nodes? If so, where, what size, and how many? Tumor (T): How large is the primary tumor in the breast? What are its biomarkers? Doctors use the results from diagnostic tests and scans to answer these questions: The most common tool that doctors use to describe the stage is the TNM system. This page provides detailed information about the system used to find the stage of breast cancer and the stage groups for breast cancer, such as stage IIA or stage IV. There are different stage descriptions for different types of cancer. Knowing the stage helps the doctor recommend the best kind of treatment and can help predict a patient's prognosis, which is the chance of recovery. Doctors use diagnostic tests to find out the cancer's stage, so staging may not be complete until all of the tests are finished. Staging done before surgery is called the clinical stage, and staging done after surgery is called the pathologic stage. Staging can be done either before or after a patient undergoes surgery. Staging is a way of describing how extensive the breast cancer is, including the size of the tumor, whether it has spread to lymph nodes, whether it has spread to distant parts of the body, and what its biomarkers are.

ON THIS PAGE: You will learn about how doctors describe a cancer’s growth or spread.

Pixel check if stage has