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Table 1 TNM Staging System for Colorectal Cancer

From: Unusual sized cecal mass presenting without obstruction: a case report

Primary Tumor (T)

Tis: Carcinoma in situ; intraepithelial (within glandular basement membrane) or invasion of lamina propria (intramucosal)

T1: Tumor invades submucosa

T2: Tumor invades muscularis propria

T3: Tumor invades through the muscularis propria into the subserosa, or into nonperiotonealized pericolic or perirectal tissues

T4: Tumor directly invades other organs or structures, and/or perforates visceral peritoneum

Regional Lymph Node (N)

NX: Regional nodes cannot be assessed

N0: No regional node metastases

N1: Metastasis in 1 to 3 regional lymph nodes

N2: Metastasis in 4 or more regional lymph nodes

Distant Metastasis (M)

MX: Distant metastasis cannot be assessed

M0: No distant metastasis

M1: Distant metastasis

Stage Groupings

Stage 0: Tis, N0, M0

Stage I: T1-2, N0, M0

Stage IIA: T3, N0, M0

Stage IIB: T4, N0, M0

Stage IIIA: T1-2, N1, M0

Stage IIIB: T3-4, N1, M0

Stage IIIC: Any T, N2, M0

Stage IV: Any T, Any N, M1

  1. The original source for this material is the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, Sixth Edition (2002) published by Springer-Verlag New York, Inc[6].