Carcinomas of the salivary glands are staged using the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM system.
Tumor locations:
(1) parotid gland
(2) submandibular gland
(3) sublingual gland
|
TNM Parameter |
Finding |
Designation |
|
T |
primary tumor cannot be assessed |
TX |
|
|
no evidence of primary tumor |
T0 |
|
|
carcinoma in situ |
Tis |
|
|
tumor <= 2 cm in maximum dimension |
T1 |
|
|
tumor > 2 cm and <= 4 cm in maximum dimension |
T2 |
|
|
tumor > 4 cm and <= 6 cm in maximum dimension |
T3 |
|
|
tumor > 6 cm in greatest dimension |
T4 |
|
N |
regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed |
NX |
|
|
no regional lymph node metastasis |
N0 |
|
|
metastasis to a single ipsilateral lymph node, <= 3 cm in maximum dimension |
N1 |
|
|
metastasis in a single ipsilateral, multiple ipsilateral, bilateral or contralateral lymph nodes, as listed below |
N2 |
|
|
metastasis in a single ipsilateral lymph node, > 3 cm and <= 6 cm in maximum dimension |
N2a |
|
|
metastasis in multiple ipsilateral lymph nodes, all <= 6 cm in maximum dimension |
N2b |
|
|
metastasis in bilateral or contralateral lymph nodes, all <= 6 cm in maximum dimension |
N2c |
|
|
metastasis to a lymph node > 6 cm in diameter |
N3 |
|
M |
presence of metastases cannot be assessed |
MX |
|
|
no distant metastasis |
M0 |
|
|
distant metastasis present |
M1 |
Subclassification:
(a) no local extension on clinical examination
(b) local extension on clinical (not histologic) examination: presence of clinical or macroscopic evidence of invasion into skin, soft tissue, bone or nerve
|
TNM Groups |
Stage |
|
T1a, N0, M0 T2a, N0, M0 |
I |
|
T1b, N0, M0 T2b, N0, M0 T3a, N0, M0 |
II |
|
T3b, N0, M0 T4a, N0, M0 T1 or T2 or T3 or T4a, N1, M0 |
III |
|
T4b, any N, M0 any T, N2, M0 any T, N3, M0 any T, any N, M1 |
IV |
Specialty: Hematology Oncology, Surgery, general, Otolaryngology
