Master Tumor Grade and Stage with Picmonic for Medicine

Grade describes the microscopic appearance of cell tumors and tissue, which assess the differentiation of the cell. Differentiation means how much cancer resembles the tissue in which it grows.

The degree of cell differentiation can be characterized by low-grade to high-grade.

Low grade is described as well differentiated. It means the cell resembles normal parent tissue.

High grade is described as poorly differentiated. It means the cell does not resemble normal parent tissue. This grade links with increased aggressiveness.

Stage describes the degree of spread of the cancer. It has a system called TNM.

The stage of the cancer will mention localization /spread of the cancer.

The stage has a better prognostic value than grading. The sample case of this situation is: a low-stage yet high-grade tumor has a better prognosis than a high-stage yet low-grade tumor.

T on the TNM stage cancer scoring system stands for tumor size.

N on the TNM stage cancer scoring system stands for node involvement.

M on the TNM stage cancer scoring system stands for metastasis.