Breast cancer staging:
From J Nucl Med 2009; Lee JH, et al. The role of radiotracer imaging in the diagnosis and management of patients with breast cancer: part I- overview, detection, and staging. 50: 569-581
American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging System for Breast Cancer
Tumor (T) | Definition |
T0 | No primary tumor found |
Tis | Carcinoma in situ |
T1
T1mic T1a T1b T1c |
Invasive cancer less than 2cm in
greatest dimension
Tumor ≤ 0.1 cm in greatest dimension Tumor > 0.1 but ≤ 0.5 cm in greatest dimension Tumor > 0.5 cm but ≤ 1.0 cm in greatest dimension Tumor > 1.0 cm but ≤ 2.0 cm in greatest dimension |
T2 | Tumor > 2 cm, but ≤ 5cm in greatest dimension |
T3 | Tumor > 5 cm in greatest dimension |
T4 | Tumor of any size with direct extension
to chest wall or skin T4a - extension to the chest wall T4b - ulceration, ipsilateral satellite nodules, and/or edema of the skin (including peau d'orange) T4c - T4a and T4b T4d - inflammatory carcinoma |
Lymph nodes (N) | Definition |
N0 | No regional lymph node mets |
N1mi |
Micrometastases |
N1 | Mets to mobile ipsilateral axillary level I-IInodes |
N2 | Mets to fixed ipsilateral axillary nodes (N2a) or ipsilateral IM nodes in absence of ipsilateral axillary mets (N2b) |
N3 | Mets to ipsilateral infraclavicular (level III) with or without axillary nodes (N3a); or ipsilateral IM and axillary nodes (N3b); or mets to ipsilateral supraclavicular nodes (N3c) |
M0 indicates no distant metastases, while M1 indicates distant mets
TNM staging system for invasive breast cancer
Stage | Category |
I | |
IA |
T1N0M0 |
IB |
T0N1mi (micrometastases)M0 T1N1miM0 |
II | |
IIA | T0N1M0
T1N1M0 T2N0M0 |
IIB | T2N1M0
T3N0M0 |
III | |
IIIA | T3N1M0
T1-T3N2M0 |
IIIB | T4N0-2M0 |
IIIC | Any T N3M0 |
IV | Any T, any N, M1 |