How do I read my cancer test results?

How do I read my cancer test results?

There are three possible results:

  1. Positive: Cancer cells are found at the edge of the margin. This may mean that more surgery is needed.
  2. Negative: The margins don’t contain cancerous cells.
  3. Close: There are cancerous cells in the margin, but they don’t extend all the way to the edge. You may need more surgery.

What do the numbers mean in breast cancer?

A score of N-0 means that there is no cancer in any lymph nodes, a score of N-1 means that there is cancer in one to three lymph nodes, a score of N-2 means that there is cancer in four to nine nodes, and a score of N-3 means that there is cancer in ten or more nodes.

What does Category 4 mean on a mammogram?

A category 4 result means the radiologist has found something that needs to be further evaluated and could be cancer. Other benign, non-cancerous changes can look suspicious.

What is considered high grade breast cancer?

A high grade number (grade 3) means a faster-growing cancer that’s more likely to spread. An intermediate grade number (grade 2) means the cancer is growing faster than a grade 1 cancer but slower than a grade 3 cancer.

What are grades in breast cancer?

There are three grades of invasive breast cancer: Grade 1 looks most like normal breast cells and is usually slow growing. Grade 2 looks less like normal cells and is growing faster. Grade 3 looks different to normal breast cells and is usually fast growing.

Is a low Ki-67 good?

In HER2 subtype, Ki-67 was higher than 15% in 34% of cases, and recurrence was 40%. In triple-negative cases, Ki-67 was higher than 15% in 60% of cases, and recurrence was detected in 32% of patients. Patients with Ki-67 less than 15% displayed better overall survival than those with Ki-67 higher than 15% (P = 0.01).

What is Ki-67 positive?

The Ki-67 percentage score is defined as the percentage of positively stained tumor cells among the total number of malignant cells assessed [11]. Withal only the positivity is of interest independent of the intensity of coloration. To ensure quality assurance of the staining, positive control tissues are completed.