What does CRM mean in BRITISH MEDICINE

Circumferential resection margin (CRM) is a term used to describe the area of tissue that is removed from the cancerous tumor in order to ensure it has been completely resected.

CRM can help provide important information about a patient's prognosis by providing insight into if and how much of the tumor was successfully surgically removed. It can also be used to help inform further treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Some other terms for circumferential resection margin include radial margin, lateral margin, and peripheral margin.

CRM is measured in millimeters (mm) by evaluating how much distance there is between the edge of the cancerous tumor and the closest part of healthy tissue that remains after surgery. The higher distance this measurement yields, the better chance a patient has at successful long-term survival rates.

Having negative margins after surgery does not necessarily mean that you are cancer-free. There could still be microscopic amounts of cancer cells remaining in your body, so follow up care should always be taken afterwards as determined by your doctor.