Staging and Grading for Breast Cancer

Question 1

What type of staging is used for breast cancer?

Answer 1

TNM

Question 2

How many T stages are there?

Answer 2

T0-T4

Question 3

What does T0 mean?

Answer 3

No tumour

Question 4

What does T1 mean?

Answer 4

< 2cm

Question 5

What does T2 mean?

Answer 5

2-5cm

Question 6

What does T3 mean?

Answer 6

> 5cm

Question 7

What does T4 mean?

Answer 7

Extension to skin, chest wall or both

Question 8

How many N stages are there?

Answer 8

N0-N3

Question 9

What does N0 mean?

Answer 9

No nodes

Question 10

What does N1 mean?

Answer 10

Mobile nodes / 1-3 nodes

Question 11

What does N2 mean?

Answer 11

Fixed nodes / > 3 nodes

Question 12

What does N3 mean?

Answer 12

Involvement of the ipsilateral internal mammary nodes

Question 13

How many M stages are there?

Answer 13

M0-M1

Question 14

What does M0 mean?

Answer 14

No distant metastases

Question 15

What does M1 mean?

Answer 15

Metastases demonstratable

Question 16

Grading is a measure of what?

Answer 16

Tumour differentiation

Question 17

If a breast cancer was very similar to parent tissue, how would this be described? What would be its prognosis?

Answer 17

Well differentiated, low grade, good prognosis

Question 18

If a breast cancer was very different to parent tissue, how would this be described? What would be its prognosis

Answer 18

Poorly differentiated, high grade, poor prognosis

Question 19

The grade of a tumour is worked out from objective assessment of which 3 things?

Answer 19

Tubular differentiation, nuclear pleomorphism and mitotic activity

Question 20

For each area of assessment for grading, what can each score?

Answer 20

1-3 points

Question 21

A score of 3-5 suggests what grade of breast cancer?

Answer 21

Grade 1

Question 22

A score of 6-7 suggests what grade of breast cancer?

Answer 22

Grade 2

Question 23

A score of 8-9 suggests what grade of breast cancer?

Answer 23

Grade 3