The size of a tumor is directly related to prognosis. In general, the larger the tumor, the lower the chances are for effective treatment and long-term survival [6].
In the TNM staging system, a "T" followed by a number shows the size of the tumor. In some cases, the size of the tumor cannot be determined (TX) or a tumor cannot be found (TO). If the diagnosis is carcinoma in situ, this is written as Tis.
| Tumor size categories |
TX: Tumor size cannot be assessed
|
T0: No tumor can be found
|
Tis: Carcinoma in situ
|
| |
Subcategories of Tis:
|
| |
Tis (DCIS): Only ductal carcinoma in situ
|
| |
Tis (LCIS): Only lobular carcinoma in situ
|
| |
Tis (Paget’s): Paget’s disease of the nipple with no tumor
|
T1: Tumor is 2 cm or smaller
|
| |
Subcategories of T1:
|
| |
T1mic: Very small tumor (0.1 cm or smaller)
|
| |
T1a: Tumor is larger than 0.1 cm, but no larger than 0.5 cm
|
| |
T1b: Tumor is larger than 0.5 cm, but no larger than 1 cm
|
| |
T1c: Tumor is larger than 1 cm, but no larger than 2 cm
|
T2: Tumor is larger than 2 cm, but no larger than 5 cm
|
T3: Tumor is larger than 5 cm
|
T4: Tumor is any size but has spread beyond the breast tissue to the chest wall or skin
|
| |
Subcategories of T4:
|
| |
T4a: Tumor has spread to chest wall
|
| |
T4b: Tumor has spread to skin
|
| |
T4c: Tumor has spread to both chest wall and skin
|
| |
T4d: Presence of inflammatory carcinoma
|
Updated 10/26/09
