TNM – is a mysterious abbreviature that nonetheless can tell a lot about the condition and prognosis in oncological patients. There are many ways to classify and stage oncological disease, but TNM is the most comprehensible.
This article is focused on TNM classification concerning breast cancer.
“T” is for the size of the tumor:
- T1 – the tumor is less than 2 cm
- T2 – the tumor is between 2 and 5 cm in size
- T3 – tumor is larger than 5cv in size
The bigger the “T” rate, the larger the tumor is and the worse might be a prognosis. But it’s not obligatory, which we discuss later.
“N” is for the degree of lymph node affection.
- N0 – no nodes involved
- N1 – non more than 3 lymph nodes involved
- N2 – 3-10 lymph nodes are affected
- N3 – supra- or subclavicular lymph nodes are affected.
N1 and N2 highlight axillar node involvement, weather N3 shows deeper and more distant lymph node lesions node lesions.
When there are not so many lymph nodes involved in the disease, more attenuated treatment can be performed. For example, a biopsy of the sentinel node can be done to perform further removal of the most proximate nodes and not to remove a larger group. This is the best way to prevent lymphedema and have relief from arm problems. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for all patients.
“M” is for metastasis. It can be M0 for no metastasis, and M1 is for distant metastasis, when lungs, brain, or other organs are affected by metastasis.
With all the information within the TNM classification stage, severity and prognosis for the oncological state can be made. Usually with higher rates, there’s a worse prognosis. But it’s not universal. The histological type and the nature of the tumor must be identified for different types have different courses.
With the same TNM rates luminal subtype A breast cancer would have a dramatically different outcome compared to the same TNM-rated triple-negative breast cancer. The latter is considered more aggressive so it more likely would have metastases and more intensive growth, even if the initial size is not that large. For your further concern there is number of videos by Dr. Ivashkov on different subtypes of mammal cancer and their management.