Tumor Size (Size of Invasive Carcinoma) in Breast Carcinoma

Breast Carcinoma reporting;Tumor Size (Size of Invasive Carcinoma)The size of an invasive carcinoma is an important prognostic factor. The single greatest dimension of the largest invasive carcinoma is used to determine T classification The best size for AJCC T classification should use information from imaging, gross examination, and microscopic evaluation. Visual determination of size is often unreliable, as carcinomas often blend into adjacent fibrous tissue. The size by palpation of a hard mass correlates better with invasion of tumor cells into stroma with a desmoplastic response. Sizes should be measured to the nearest millimeter. In some cases, the size may be difficult to determine.How to measure size of breast invasive carcinoma:A. Invasive carcinoma with surrounding ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The size only includes the area of the invasive carcinoma and does not include the adjacent DCIS. The size should be measured to the closest 1 mm.Invasive carcinoma and DCIS: The size measurement includes only the largest area of contiguous invasion of stroma. Surrounding DCIS is not included in the size measurement.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------B. Small invasive carcinoma with prior core needle biopsy. The size of the carcinoma in the core needle biopsy should not be added to the size of the carcinoma in the excisional specimen, as this will generall...
Source: Oncopathology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: blogs