Breast Cancer

Abstract

Staging Staging refers to the grouping of patients according to the extent of their disease. Breast cancer is staged initially on a clinical basis, according to the results of the physical examination and laboratory and radiologic evaluations, and provides an important documentation of a patient's characteristics at presentation. This information can be useful in choosing treatments, estimating prognosis, and comparing the results of different treatment programs. An internationally recognized staging system — the TNM system — has been adopted by both the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer and the American Joint Commission on Cancer Staging and End-Results Reporting. 100 This system… © 1992, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.