pathology report

Could someone please explain to me in English what the pathologic tumor stage designation pT2 pN1a pMX means?
Thank you!

[SueYoung55]

Honestly Debbie,

You need your Doctor to sit down and explain this to you. You can search that online and get an answer but I feel your Dr needs to do this for you so that you get all questions answered.

Best wishes

[katarina777]

I agree with Sue Young, Debbie. I considered looking this up for you, as this information is randomly available on cancer websites, or if you google bc staging, and stuff like that. But I decided against doing this for you, because this needs to be explained to you by your doctor in person. (not that I know immediately what it means, although I have looked this up for myself, but since forgotten)

If anything, asking your oncologist or other doctor about this, is good practice for the future and anything further you may need to ask and know, and should know, and your doctor should know you need and want to know.

Not everyone cares to know what these things mean, so it's your job to ask and let your doc know that you are interested.

Katrin

[Debbie312]

Thanks Sue and katarina777. The tumor stage designation I asked about is listed on my mother's pathology report. I have lots of information from the body of the report, but just wanted a simple explanation for the pT2 pN1a pMX. I asked a lot of questions of her surgeon last week, but not this one. She lives 15 hours away.

[bluebutterfly2222]

T2 indicates a tumor more than 2cm but less than 5cm in  greatest dimension.

N1  indicates metastasis to moveable lymph nodes in the armpit on the breast cancer side.

I believe MX means it has not yet been determined if there is distant metastasis. (When determined, M0 would indicate no distant metastasis had been identified, and M1 would indicate that distant metastasis had been found.)

Best wishes to you and to your mother...

[Debbie312]

Thank you so much! That's exactly the simple explanation I was looking for! You're an angel.

[bluebutterfly2222]

You are certainly welcome.

From personal experience, I understand all too well the anxiteies and frustrations related to tryng to understand and assist, long distance,  with the medical problems of loved ones.

Regards,
bluebutteerfly