The staging of primary liver cancer is divided into CNLC stage Ⅰa, Ⅰb, Ⅱa, Ⅱb, Ⅲa, Ⅲb and Ⅳ according to the patient’s physical activity status (i.e. PS), liver tumor and liver function.
1.CNLC Stage I:
Stage Ia: PS 0-2 points, liver function Child – Pugh A/B grade, single tumor and diameter ≤ 5cm, no invasion of blood vessels and distant metastasis.
Stage Ib: PS 0-2 points, liver function Child – Pugh Grade A/B, single tumor with diameter >5cm or 2-3 tumors with maximum diameter ≤3cm, no vascular cancer embolism and extrahepatic metastasis on imaging.
2.CNLC stage II:
Stage IIa: PS 0-2 points, liver function Child-Pugh Grade A/B, 2-3 tumors, maximum diameter >3cm or number of tumors ≥4, tumor diameter regardless, no vascular cancer thrombus and extrahepatic metastasis on imaging.
Stage IIb: PS 0-2, liver function Child-Pugh Grade A/B, number of tumors ≥4, tumor diameter regardless of the number of tumors, no vascular thrombus or extrahepatic metastasis on imaging.
3.CNLC stage III:
Stage IIIb: PS 0-2 points, liver function Child-Pugh Grade A/B, tumor status regardless, visible vascular invasion and extrahepatic metastasis.
Stage IIIb: PS 0-2 points, liver function Child-Pugh Grade A/B, tumor status regardless, no vascular invasion, extrahepatic metastasis.
4. CNLC stage IV: PS 3-4 points, or liver function Child-Pugh grade C, tumor status regardless, with or without imaging vascular thrombus regardless, with or without extrahepatic metastasis regardless.