The alphanumeric lung cancer staging, do you know what it means?
TNM staging is the most common staging method used by doctors to treat non-small cell lung cancer, and is sometimes used for small cell lung cancer. The three letters represent the three dimensions, and the number after each letter represents the specific degree. Let’s learn more about each of them.
TNM staging is the most common staging method used by physicians to treat non-small cell lung cancer and is sometimes used for small cell lung cancer. The three letters represent the three dimensions, and the number after each letter represents the specific degree. Let’s learn more about each of them.
T Staging
T is mainly used to describe the size of the diameter of the tumor. It is divided into 4 categories, which are T0~T4.
T0 means no lesion is found. However, it may mean that in the inner layer of the lung, there is an area of cancer cells.
T1 means that lesions are found within the lung and are classified into T1a, T1b and T1c stages depending on the diameter of the tumor.
Stage T1a means that the cancer is less than or equal to 1cm in diameter.
T1b tumor diameter is between 1cm and 2cm.
T1c stage means the tumor diameter is between 2cm and 3cm cm.
T2 means the tumor diameter is between 3cm and 5cm. T2 is divided into T2a and T2b.
T2a means the tumor diameter is between 3cm and 4cm.
T2b means the tumor diameter is between 4cm and 5cm.
T3 means the cancer is between 5 cm and 7 cm in diameter, or there is more than one tumor in the lobe of the lung, or it has infiltrated the chest wall, the nerves in the lung, the outer layer of the heart (pericardium) etc.
T4 tumors are larger, exceeding 7 cm, or have been found on more than one lobe, or have spread to nearby nodes, or spread between the lung and mediastinum.
For the T dimension, you can find the corresponding number to understand the current size or status of your tumor. Let’s then look at what N stands for again.
N Staging
N describes whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
NX means that the lymph nodes cannot be evaluated, but it does not mean that the lymph nodes do not contain cancer cells.
N1 means that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes that connect the airways to the lungs.
N2 means that it has spread to the mediastinum and to the lymph nodes near the trachea.
N3 means that the cancer has spread to the chest, supraclavicular lymph nodes.
During surgery, we often hear doctors say that they need to clean out some infected lymph nodes, and these numbers will give them a hint.
M Staging
M stands for whether the cancer has spread and where it has spread.
M0 means the cancer has not spread.
M1 means the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. It is divided into M1a, M1b and M1C.
M1a means that more than one of the following conditions has been reached.
1 The lesion has metastasized within both lungs.
2 The lesion has metastasized to the heart or around the lungs.
3 Malignant pleural effusion or pericardial effusion.
M1b has metastasized to a tissue or organ, for example: liver, brain, or an area other than lymph nodes.
M1C means that the lesion has metastasized to multiple sites.
And to determine the stage of tumor, whether the lesion is metastatic or not is one of the main criteria we consider.