Hello,
What does MX mean on the pathology report? I know it states "presence of distance spread cannot be assessed." My question is why? Why can't it be assessed? I had 0.6 cm, stage 1, and grade 2 IDC no nodes involved.
Thank you!
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4/20/11 10:00am
Hi Marlene - It simply means that no doctor on earth can tell for sure that the cancer hasn't spread outside your breast; there may be a single cell, somewhere in your body, that's escaped. So, since the pathologist can't categorically state "it hasn't spread," they fall back on "can't be assessed." With stage 1, a small tumor, grade 2, and no lymph node involvement, chances are excellent it's remained confined to your breast; your 5-year survival rate, with the recommended treatment, would be in probably the mid-90 percentile range, if you were to ask your oncologist. So, don't stress; chances are things will turn out just fine for you. Take care- PJH
4/26/11 12:41am
Pj's answer while well meaning is not accurate. We pathologists only can make assessments based on tissue provided us. The Mx indicates that the pathologist had no tissue to assess whether any distant spread had occurred. It is a subtle distinction. Similarly, if I am not provided any lymph nodes to examine, then the N would be reported as Nx. If I am provided one or more lymph nodes and there is no metastatic tumor in them, then it is reported as N0.
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By marlene— Last Modified: 04/26/11, First Published: 04/20/11
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Thanks for the clarification - much appreciated. I assume Mx is a typical diagnosis, then, as with no evidence of spread, how would a pathologist ever be provided tissue to assess? It would be such a shot in the dark... Again, thank you - it's always good to hear information from "the horse's mouth." PJH