Histologist, who studies the tumor tissue obtained at biopsy or during surgery for tumor characteristics using terms such as rate and extent of the tumor cell growth.
The rate of cell growth of the tumor. The rate of growth of tumor cells indicates a proportional relationship between cell growth and division. This option helps to imagine how one or another cancerous tumor. To determine this parameter, various tests (test of S-phase fraction and Ki-67 test).
The extent of cell growth of the tumor. This parameter is characterized by cancer as low, medium and high. The higher the degree of growth, cell differentiation, the better the outcome of cancer, the less invasive tumor. Conversely, the low differentiation of tumor cells, when their growth is messy, the worse the outcome of such a tumor, since it is characterized by a high degree of invasiveness. At the same time, the higher the degree of tumor differentiation, so it is more sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Dead cells in the tumor. No matter how wanted to say that good a cancer cell - the cell is dead, but it is worth noting that the necrosis (ie, necrosis) of cancer cells is a sign of excessive growth of the tumor.
The size of the tumor - this is just one of the parameters of the tumor. He's not the main, because the size of the tumor is not always talking about her character. It so happens that the tumor is quite large, but it is not marked lymph node involvement, tumor can not grow into the surrounding tissue. Conversely, when a small tumor metastases may occur early and invasive tumor growth.
The actual size of breast tumors can be detected in several ways:
During a physical examination.
With the help of X-ray or scan.
Histological examination under a microscope.
The doctor uses the data on the size of the tumor together with its other characteristics in order to find the right treatment. No wonder the classification of the stages of malignant tumors is based not only on the size of the tumor itself, but also on its characteristics such as the degree of sprouting in neighboring tissues (skin, muscle), as well as lymph node involvement in the process.
