RCB is short for **Residual Cancer Burden**. It is a **pathology-based way to measure how much cancer remains** after treatment given before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy). RCB is most commonly used in **breast cancer care** after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy. It helps clinicians describe treatment response in a more detailed way than “response” versus “no response.”
Residual cancer burden is a way to describe how much cancer remains after treatment given before surgery. It is most commonly used after neoadjuvant therapy, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or endocrine therapy. It combines key pathology findings from the breast and lymph nodes into a standardized summary. In plain terms, it helps clinicians and patients understand “how much tumor is left” after treatment.
pCR most commonly means **pathologic complete response**. It describes **no remaining detectable cancer on pathology** in the treated area after therapy given before surgery. pCR is most often discussed after **neoadjuvant** (pre-surgery) chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. Clinicians use pCR to help describe treatment response and to support research and treatment planning.
Pathologic complete response is a pathology finding after cancer treatment. It means no remaining cancer is seen in the tissue removed and examined under a microscope. It is most commonly discussed after treatment given before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy). It is used in both routine cancer care and cancer clinical trials.
A Sentinel node is the first lymph node (or small group of nodes) that drains lymph fluid from a specific area of the body. It is commonly used in cancer care to check whether cancer cells have started to spread through the lymphatic system. Clinicians most often discuss the Sentinel node in cancers like breast cancer and melanoma. Testing the Sentinel node can help guide staging and treatment decisions.
Isolated tumor cells are very small clusters or single cancer cells found outside the main tumor. They are most often reported by a pathologist in lymph nodes removed during cancer surgery, especially sentinel lymph nodes. In many cancers, they represent the smallest category of tumor spread that can be detected under the microscope or with special stains. They are commonly used in cancer staging reports to help describe the extent of disease.
Micrometastasis is a very small deposit of cancer cells that has spread from the original (primary) tumor to another location. It is usually too small to be felt on exam or seen on routine imaging. It is most commonly discussed in pathology reports, especially when lymph nodes are examined after surgery. It can influence cancer staging and the way clinicians estimate recurrence risk.
Tumor budding is a pathology finding where single cancer cells or small clusters of cells “break off” at the edge of a tumor. It is seen under the microscope in tissue removed by biopsy or surgery. It is most commonly discussed in colorectal cancer, but it can be reported in several solid tumors. Clinicians use it as a marker of how invasive a tumor may be.
ECE most commonly means **extracapsular extension** in oncology. It describes cancer cells that have **grown through the capsule (outer covering) of a lymph node** into nearby tissue. ECE is usually identified by a **pathologist** when lymph nodes are examined after a biopsy or surgery. Clinicians use ECE in **staging discussions, risk assessment, and treatment planning**, especially in cancers that spread to lymph nodes.
Extracapsular extension is a pathology term describing cancer that has grown through the outer “capsule” of a structure and into nearby tissue. It is most commonly discussed when cancer spreads to a lymph node and then grows beyond the lymph node capsule (also called *extranodal extension* in some cancers). It can also be used in some organ-based cancers when tumor extends beyond an organ’s boundary or capsule. Clinicians use it to better understand how far a cancer has spread and how aggressive it may be.