The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) has developed the TNM staging system for malignant soft tissue tumors.
TNM Criteria
|
Parameter |
Finding |
Designation |
|
primary tumor |
tumor <= 5 cm |
T1 |
|
|
tumor > 5 cm |
T2 |
|
depth |
superficial |
T code "a" |
|
|
deep |
T code "b" |
|
regional lymph nodes |
no histologically verified metastasis to regional lymph nodes |
N0 |
|
|
histologically verified metastasis to regional lymph nodes |
N1 |
|
distant metastasis |
no distant metastasis |
M0 |
|
|
distant metastasis |
M1 |
Tumor Histologic Grade
|
Parameter |
Finding |
Designation |
|
histological grade of malignancy |
well-differentiated |
G1 |
|
|
moderately differentiated |
G2 |
|
|
poorly differentiated |
G3 |
|
|
undifferentiated |
G4 |
Staging
|
|
Description |
G |
TNM |
|
Stage IA |
low grade, small, superficial and deep |
G1, G2 |
T1aN0M0 T1bN0M0 |
|
Stage IB |
low grade, large, superficial |
G1, G2 |
T2aN0M0 |
|
Stage IIA |
low grade, large, deep |
G1, G2 |
T2bN0M0 |
|
Stage IIB |
high grade, small, superficial and deep |
G3, G4 |
T1aN0M0 T1bN0M0 |
|
Stage IIC |
high grade, large, superficial |
G3, G4 |
T2aN0M0 |
|
Stage III |
high grade, large, deep |
G3, G4 |
T2bN0M0 |
|
Stage IV |
any metastasis |
G1, G2, G3, G4 |
T1N1M0 T2N1M0 T1N0M1 T1N1M1 T2N0M1 T2N1M1 |
Specialty: Hematology Oncology, Surgery, general, Surgery, orthopedic
