Clinical staging of breast cancer

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the breast glandular epithelial tissue and is one of the most common malignant tumors in women. Many breast cancers begin as tumors in the surface cells of the milk ducts, while some develop into tumors in the mammary lobules. Breast cancer includes two types: invasive breast cancer and carcinoma in situ of the breast. So what is the installment payment for breast cancer clinical medicine?

How is breast cancer staged?

Breast cancer patients and their relatives are very concerned about the extent of their own or their loved ones' symptoms, which is what doctors often call the clinical installment of breast cancer. The TNM installment method proposed by the International Cancer Prevention Union is explained as follows:

1. Larger diameter of primary tumor (T) installment payment

(1) Tx: The status of the primary tumor is unknown (it has been removed).

(2) T0: The primary tumor cannot be palpated.

(3) Tis: Carcinoma in situ (including lobular carcinoma in situ and carcinoma in situ), Paget's disease limited to the nipple, and no mass is palpable in the breast.

(4) T1: The maximum diameter of the tumor is less than 2 cm.

(5) T1a: The maximum diameter of the tumor is less than 0.5 cm.

(6) T1b: The maximum diameter of the tumor is 0.5 to 1 cm.

(7) T1c: The maximum diameter of the tumor is 1 to 2 cm.

(8) T2: The maximum diameter of the tumor is 2 to 5 cm.

(9) T3: The maximum diameter of the tumor exceeds 5 cm.

(10) T4: Tumor of any size, directly invading the sternum and skin.

(11) T4a: The tumor immediately invades the sternum.

(12) T4b: Breast surface skin edema (including orange peel edema), skin ulcers or satellite masses in the skin surrounding the tumor, but not exceeding the breast in the same direction.

(13) T4c: includes T4a and T4b.

(14) T4d: Inflammatory breast cancer.

2. Regional lymph nodes (N) installment

(1) N0: No regional lymph nodes are palpable. Postoperative specimen collection was performed to check for cancer metastasis.

(2) Nx: The status of regional lymph nodes is unknown (they have been removed in the past).

(3) N1: Preoperative examination showed that the axillary lymph nodes in the same direction were swollen and movable, or postoperative specimen collection and examination showed 1 to 3 cancer metastases.

(4) N2: Axillary lymph nodes are enlarged in the same direction and are connected to each other or adhered to other tissues, or 4 to 9 cancer metastases are found in postoperative specimen collection.

(5) N3: There is migration of internal mammary lymph nodes in the same direction, or postoperative specimen collection and examination shows ≥10 cancer metastases.

3. Distance Migration (M) Installment

(1) Mx: It is auspicious to migrate to a distant place.

(2) M0: No long-distance migration.

(3) M1: Distant migration (including bone, lung, liver, brain, and neck cancer metastasis in the same direction, etc.).