Online Education Center for Cancer Programs: Promoting Quality Care

Breast Cancer Staging: Fundamentals for Physicians

(1 CME credit)
Presented by David P. Winchester, MD, FACS

Course Overview

This presentation is intended to provide physicians involved in the treatment of patients with breast cancer with an overview of breast cancer staging as presented in the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, Sixth Edition. This program will explain the TNM staging revisions implemented in the Sixth Edition, and provide an overview of the finer points in the development and use of the staging system. Guidelines will be presented for assigning the T, N, and M for breast cancer in daily practice.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this course, a viewer will:

Understand the rationale behind revisions made to breast cancer staging in the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, Sixth Edition
Be able to appropriately apply the guidelines for classifying the T and N categories for breast cancer
Understand the significance of the difference between finding isolated tumor cells (ITCs) versus micrometastases in regional lymph nodes

Intended Audience

This program is intended for physicians who may be responsible for assigning AJCC TNM staging for breast cancer or those interested in gaining a better understanding of the breast cancer staging system.

Online Education Center for Cancer Programs