TNM classification for breast cancer
Tumor classification
Tx: Primary tumor cannot be assessed
T0: No evidence of primary tumor
Tis: DCIS or Paget's disease of the breast without invasive carcinoma and/or carcinoma in situ in underlying parenchyma
T1mi: Tumor ≤ 1 mm in greatest dimension
T1a: Tumor > 1 mm but ≤ 5 mm in greatest dimension
T1b: Tumor > 5 mm but ≤ 10 mm in greatest dimension
T1c: Tumor > 10 mm but ≤ 20 mm in greatest dimension
T2: Tumor > 20 mm but ≤ 50 mm in greatest dimension
T3: Tumor > 50 mm in greatest dimension
T4: Tumor of any size with direct extension to chest wall and/or to skin (ulceration or macroscopic nodules), including inflammatory carcinoma
Lymph node classification
Nx: Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed
N0: No regional lymph node metastasis or isolated tumor cell clusters only
N1mi: Micrometastases (approximately 200 cells, > 0.2 mm but ≤ 2.0 mm)
N1a: Metastases in 1-3 axillary lymph nodes, at least 1 metastasis > 2.0 mm
N1b: Metastases in ipsilateral internal mammary sentinel nodes, excluding isolated tumor cell clusters
N1c: N1a and N1b combined
N2a: Metastases in 4-9 axillary lymph nodes (at least 1 tumor deposit > 2.0 mm)
N2b: Metastases in clinically detected internal mammary lymph nodes with or without microscopic confirmation; with pathologically negative axillary nodes
N3a: Metastases > 10 axillary lymph nodes (at least 1 tumor deposit > 2.0 mm); metastases to the infraclavicular (level III axillary lymph) nodes
N3b: pN1a or pN2a in the presence of positive internal mammary nodes by imaging; N2a in the presence of N1b
N3c: Metastases in ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph nodes
Metastasis classification
M0: No distant metastasis
M1: Distant metastasis present
Stage cannot be fully assessed
Reference
Amin, M.B., Edge et al. AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. AJCC. 2017.
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