Breast Cancer Diagnosis Diagnostic Mammography Breast Biopsy Breast Ultrasound Ductogram Less Common Diagnostic Procedures Staging

Staging is the process used to determine the extent a cancer has spread beyond the primary site. The stage of a cancer is one of the most important factors to be considered when planning a treatment program.

The staging system most commonly used to provide a standardized method of describing the extent to which a breast cancer has spread is the Staging System of the American Joint Committee on Cancer. This system is sometimes referred to as the TNM system because it evaluates three components to determine the stage of a cancer:

• T = tumor size and spread to the skin or chest wall under the breast. The extent of the tumor is expressed in a numerical value from 0 to 4, with higher T numbers indicating a larger tumor or more extensive spread to the skin or chest wall;



• N = the extent to which the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breast and the degree to which the affected nodes are fixed (stuck) to other structures under the arm. The extent of spread is expressed in a numerical value from 0 to 3, with the higher number denoting more extensive spread;



• M = the extent to which the cancer has metastasized to distant organs or to lymph nodes that are not next to the breast. The extent of metastasis is shown in a numerical value from 0 to 1, with 1 indicating the most extensive spread.

The following is a summary of breast cancer T, N, and M Categories and Stage Groupings:

The final step in determining a woman's disease state is a process called stage grouping, in which the stage is expressed in Roman numerals from Stage 0 (least advanced) to Stage IV (most advanced).

The following table summarizes Breast Cancer Stage Grouping:

This website provides general information only. A physician should be contacted if you need any medical advice or if medical decisions need to be made.