What is a circumferential resection margin?

INTRODUCTION. Circumferential resection margin (CRM) is the closest distance between the radial resection margin and the tumor tissue by either direct tumor spread, areas of neural or vascular invasion, or the nearest involved lymph node.

What is resection margin in cancer?

A resection margin or surgical margin is the margin of apparently non-tumorous tissue around a tumor that has been surgically removed, called “resected”, in surgical oncology.

What does CRM-negative mean?

Conclusion. CRM positivity is a strong unfavorable indicator for the survival of colon cancer patients. Among CRM-negative patients, an improved outcome is expected if the CRM value is >30 mm. This cutoff value only applies to AJCC stage II–IV patients.

What is a circumferential tumor?

The circumferential extent of a tumor is one factor that represents the amount and invasion area of a rectal cancer. A circumferential extent of a tumor of 75% or more has been shown to be a risk factor for the intramural distal spread of rectal cancer.

What are positive surgical margins?

A positive surgical margin is ‘defined as tumor extending to the inked-surface or margin of the prostate’ and is determined by the pathologist. One can think of this situation as removing an orange where the peel is the capsule of the prostate and the fruit is the cancer.

What are margins in surgery?

Listen to pronunciation. (MAR-jin) The edge or border of the tissue removed in cancer surgery. The margin is described as negative or clean when the pathologist finds no cancer cells at the edge of the tissue, suggesting that all of the cancer has been removed.

What is negative margin resection?

The edge or border of the tissue removed in cancer surgery. The margin is described as negative or clean when the pathologist finds no cancer cells at the edge of the tissue, suggesting that all of the cancer has been removed.

What does margins negative on a pathology report indicate?

Positive or involved margins means there are cancer cells at the margin. Negative, clean, or clear margins means there are no cancer cells at the margin. The pathologist also measures the distance between the cancer cells and the margin.

What is the radial resection margin?

The circumferential resection margin (crm), also called the radial margin, is very important in rectal cancer surgery, being a prognostic factor in patients who undergo such surgery.

What does negative for malignant cells mean?

Negative: The margins don’t contain cancerous cells. 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 does it mean when margins are not clear?

A clear, negative, or clean margin means there are no cancer cells at the outer edge of tissue that was removed. A positive margin means that cancer cells come right out to the edge of the removed tissue and have ink on them.

What is the most common margin for melanoma removal?

However, a 1 cm margin is widely accepted as standard treatment for thin (< 1 mm) melanomas and most international guidelines recommend 1 cm excision margins for melanoma < 1 mm thick.