- NEED HELP? CALL US NOW
- +919995411505
- [email protected]
Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body.
Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and multiply (through a process called cell division) to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.
For a proper diagnosis and treatment planning, it important to find out at what stage the disease is present.
For that TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors (TNM) is a globally recognised standard for classifying the anatomical extent of the spread of malignant tumours (cancer).
Wide international acceptance for many solid tumor cancers, but is not applicable to leukaemia or tumors of the central nervous system.
Most common tumors have their own TNM classification
To learn the stage of your disease, your doctor may order x-rays, lab tests, and other tests or procedures
The abbreviation “TNM” stands for tumor (T), nodes (N), and metastases (M).
| In the TNM system. |
| The T refers to the size and extent of the main tumor. The main tumor is usually called the primary tumor. |
| The N refers to the number of nearby lymph nodes that have cancer. |
| The M refers to whether the cancer has metastasized |
The T category can be assigned a letter or a number:
| TX means there’s no information about the primary tumor, or it can’t be measured |
| T0 means there is no evidence of a primary tumor (it cannot be found). |
| Tis means that the cancer cells are only growing in the layer of cells where they started, without growing into deeper layers. This may also be called in situ cancer or pre-cancer. |
| A number after the T (such as T1, T2, T3, or T4) might describe the tumor size and/or amount of spread into nearby structures. The higher the T number, the larger the tumor and/or the more it has grown into nearby tissues. |
Size of T1 of few tumors
| BREAST CARCINOMA | ≤ 2 cm | T1 |
| 2-5 cm | T2 | |
| >5 cm | T3 | |
| extension to chest wall | T4 | |
| HEAD AND NECK CANCERS INCLUDING THYROID | ≤ 2 cm | T1 |
| 2-4 cm | T3 | |
| >4 cm | ||
| invasion of adjacent structures | ||
| LUNGS | ≤ 3 cm | T1 |
| 3-7 cm | T2 | |
| >7 cm | ||
| invasion of adjacent structures |
The N category can be assigned a letter or a number:
| NX means there’s no information about the nearby lymph nodes, or they can’t be assessed. |
| N0 means nearby lymph nodes do not contain cancer |
| A number after the N (such as N1, N2, or N3) might describe the size, location, and/or the number of nearby lymph nodes affected by cancer. The higher the N number, the greater the cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes. |
The M category is assigned a number:
| NX means there’s no information about the nearby lymph nodes, or they can’t be assessed. |
| N0 means nearby lymph nodes do not contain cancer |
Stages
The TNM system helps to establish the anatomic extent of the disease, and the combination of the three factors can serve to define the overall stage of the tumor
Stage 0 - Indicates carcinoma in situ. Tis, N0, M0.
Stage I - Localized cancer. T1-T2, N0, M0.
Stage II - Locally advanced cancer, early stages. T2-T4, N0, M0.
Stage III - Locally advanced cancer, late stages. T1-T4, N1-N3, M0.
Stage IV - Metastatic cancer. T1-T4, N1-N3, M1.
