The TNM Staging System
Most physicians use the TNM system to determine the stage of malignancy. The “T” represents the tumor, “N” represents the lymph nodes, and “M” represents the cancer’s metastatic state.
The primary tumor is not measurable.
T1, T2, T3, and T4 are terms used to characterize the size and extent of a tumor. The tumor is larger the greater the degree.
T0: The linings do not contain any tumors or malignant cells.
The extent of malignancy spread to lymph nodes cannot be determined.
N1: the cancer has infiltrated adjacent lymph nodes; the greater the degree, the more lymph nodes the cancer has infiltrated.
The cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes nearby.
MX indicates that the extent of the cancer’s spread cannot be determined.
M1 signifies that the malignancy has spread to other areas of the body.
M0 indicates that the malignancy has not spread to distant body parts.
