What system is primarily used for staging breast cancer?

The correct system used for staging breast cancer is the TNM system, which stands for Tumor, Node, Metastasis. This classification system evaluates the extent of cancer in a standardized way, allowing for a comprehensive and clear picture of the disease's progression.

In the TNM system, the 'T' describes the size and extent of the primary tumor, 'N' indicates whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, and 'M' denotes the presence of distant metastasis. This detailed assessment provides crucial information that assists healthcare professionals in determining the stage of the cancer, which is vital for guiding treatment decisions and predicting patient outcomes.

While the AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) system does incorporate the TNM classification in its staging guidelines, the specific focus here is on the actual method of staging, which is the TNM system itself. The FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) system is typically used for gynecological cancers and not breast cancer. The UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) also aligns with the AJCC guidelines but primarily functions to provide cancer classification on a global scale, rather than specifically for breast cancer staging. Consequently, the emphasis on TNM as the primary system for staging