In 2015, the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) issued the eighth edition of the TNM staging for liver cancer.
In the TNM staging system:
- T (for tumor Tumor) refers to the condition of the primary tumor site;
- N (for lymph node Node) refers to regional lymph node involvement;
- M (for Metastasis) refers to distant metastases (usually hematologic).
On this basis, a specific stage is delineated using a combination of the three TNM indicators.
| T Category | T Criteria |
| Tx | Primary tumors cannot be evaluated |
| T0 | No significant evidence of primary tumor |
| T1 |
Single tumor no larger than 2 cm, or single tumor no smaller than 2 cm and no vascular invasion |
| T1a | Single tumor no larger than 2cm |
| T1b | Single tumor not less than 2cm and no vascular invasion |
|
T2 |
Single tumor not less than 2 cm with vascular invasion, or multiple tumors up to 5 cm |
| T3 | Multiple tumors with a maximum tumor diameter of not less than 5cm |
| T4 |
Regardless of tumor number or tumor size, as long as there is vascular invasion of the portal vein or major branches of the hepatic vein; or direct tumor invasion of the gallbladder or other organs other than the peritoneum |
| T Category | N Criteria |
| Nx | Lymph nodes in the region cannot be measured |
|
N0 |
No lymph node metastasis |
| N1 | with lymph node metastasis |
| M Categories | M Criteria |
| Mx | Distant transfer cannot be measured |
| M0 | No distant metastases |
| M1 | With distant transfer |
| Staging |
T |
N | M |
| IA |
T1a |
N0 |
M0 |
|
IB |
T1b |
N0 |
M0 |
|
II |
T2 |
N0 |
M0 |
| IIIA |
T3 |
N0 |
M0 |
| IIIB |
T4 |
N0 |
M0 |
| IVA |
Any T |
N1 |
M0 |
|
IVB |
Any T |
Any N |
M1 |