cancer staging
stage 0
cancer in situ
histologic grading
appearance of the cells and the degree of differentiation - evaluated pathologically
tumor suppressor genes
suppress growth
grade 4
cells are immature and primitive (anaplasia) undifferentiated cell of origin is difficult to determine high grade
grade 2
cells are more abnormal and moderately differentiated intermediate grade
grade 3
cells are very abnormal and poorly differentiated high grade
grade 1
cells differ slightly from normal cells well differentiated low grade
stage 3
extensive local and regional spread
surgical staging
extent of the disease as determined by surgical excision, exploration and/or lymph node sampling
grade x
grade cannot be assessed
tumors that are poorly differentiated (undifferentiated)
have a worse prognosis than those that are closer in appearance to the normal tissue of origin (well differentiated)
3 stages of cancer development
initiation, promotion and progression
stage 2
limited local spread
stage 4
metastasis
carcinoma in situ
neoplasm whose cells are localized and show no tendency to invade or metastasize to other tissues (precancer)
protooncogenes
normal cell genes that are important regulators of normal cell processes promote growth mutations alter protooncogenes to oncogenes (genetic)
fibroadenoma
not cancerous
staging is
the extent and spread of the disease anatomic extent of the disease rather than on cell appearance
stage 1
tumor is limited to the tissue of origin localized tumor growth
TMN classification system
used to determine the anatomic extent of the disease involvement according to 3 parameters: tumor size and inventiveness (T), presence or absence of regional spread to lymph nodes (N) and metastasis to distant organ sites (M)