Staging

Staging is the most critical step in determining the most accurate and effective treatment plan once breast cancer is confirmed.

Simply put, staging is the process of determining whether cancer cells have spread within the breast or elsewhere in the body.

There are two types of staging in breast cancer: clinical staging and pathological staging.

Clinical staging: This is performed using physical examination, including the breast and axilla, and imaging techniques.

Pathological staging: In addition to clinical staging, the pathological examination of the removed breast tissue and axillary lymph nodes is used.

The TNM system is used for cancer staging.

T indicates the tumor. (The size indicates how far it has spread within the breast or to other organs.)

N indicates the status of the lymph nodes.

M indicates whether the cancer has metastasized.

Numbers and letters following T, N, and M are used to describe details about the tumor, lymph nodes, and metastases.