The staging of liver cancer is mainly based on the International Union Against Cancer (IUAC) TNM staging (TNM), Barcelona Liver Cancer Staging (BCLC), Italian Liver Cancer Staging (CLIP), and Chinese Liver Cancer Staging Program (CLCN) staging systems. Most of the current staging systems integrate liver functional status and physical status, such as the TNM staging system.
The TNM staging system for liver cancer refers to tumor size (T), lymph node involvement (N), and distant metastasis (M), which is also applicable to liver cancer staging. In this staging system, the letters T, N, and M denote the different directions of cancer spreading, and according to the results of surgery and laboratory examination, the staging is graded by numbers or letters, and the higher the value, the larger the tumor or the more serious the spread.
A specific stage is delineated with the combination of three TNM indicators, such as: T1N0M0 or T1, N0, M0. The following is the TNM staging system: T (referring to the tumor): the size of the primary tumor; N (referring to the regional lymph nodes): the number of lymph nodes of the cancer spreading to the nearby regions; M (referring to the distant metastasis): the cancer has already spread to the distal parts of the body.
It is suggested that liver cancer patients should go to regular hospitals and follow the advice of specialists for diagnosis and treatment, and should not take treatment by themselves, so as to avoid delaying or aggravating the condition.