Middle and low differentiated hepatocellular hepatocellular carcinoma can be divided into four stages according to the primary tumor, lymph node metastasis, and whether distant metastasis occurs.
According to the development of primary tumor, the degree of lymph node metastasis, and whether distant metastasis occurs, liver cancer can be divided into four stages, i.e. TNM staging.
T1: indicates that the diameter of the tumor is below 2cm and blood and lymphatic metastases have not yet occurred.
T2: indicates that although the diameter of the tumor is less than 2cm, the tumor has invaded the blood vessels close to it; or there are two cancer masses with a diameter of less than 2cm, but they have not invaded the blood vessels; tumors with a diameter of more than 2cm, but they have not invaded the blood vessels are also counted in this category.
T3: indicates a tumor with a diameter of more than 2cm and has appeared to invade blood vessels; or this is when there are several small masses with a diameter of less than 2cm, but there has been vascular invasion, or there are one or more tumors larger than 2cm.
T4: This means that there is already a tumor in both lobes of the liver, or the tumor has invaded the portal vein of the liver.
N: N0 indicates no lymph node metastasis, N1 indicates metastasis.
M: M0 means no distal metastasis, M1 means distal metastasis.
TNM staging is mainly based on the size and number of tumors, vascular invasion, lymph node invasion, and the presence of metastasis and is divided into stages I, II, IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, and IV, with the lowest to the highest reflecting the severity of the tumor:
Stage I: T1, N0, M0.
Stage II: T2, N0, M0.
Stage IIIa: T3, N0, M0.
Stage IIIb: T4, N0, M0.
Stage IIIc: any T, N1, M0.
Stage IV: any T, any N, M1.