Version July 2025
| Primary tumor (T)* | |||
| T category | T criteria | ||
| TX | Primary tumor cannot be assessed | ||
| T0 | No evidence of primary tumor | ||
| T1 | Tumor invades the mucosa or submucosa, and ≤2 cm in greatest dimension | ||
| T1a | Tumor ≤1 cm in greatest dimension | ||
| T1b | Tumor >1 cm but ≤2 cm in greatest dimension | ||
| T2 | Tumor invades the muscularis propria, or is >2 cm in greatest dimension with invasion of the mucosa or submucosa | ||
| T3 | Tumor invades through the muscularis propria into subserosal tissue without penetration of overlying serosa | ||
| T4 | Tumor invades the visceral peritoneum (serosa), or other organs or adjacent structures | ||
NOTE: Multiple tumors should be designated as such (the largest tumor should be used to assign T category):
Primary tumor suffix
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| Regional lymph nodes (N)* | |||
| N category | N criteria | ||
| NX | Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed | ||
| N0 | No tumor involvement of regional lymph node(s) | ||
| N1 | Tumor involvement of regional lymph node(s) | ||
Regional lymph nodes suffix
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| Distant metastasis (M)* | |||
| M category | M criteria | ||
| cM0 | No distant metastasis | ||
| cM1 | Distant metastasis | ||
| cM1a | Metastasis confined to liver | ||
| cM1b | Metastases in at least one extrahepatic site (eg, lung, ovary, nonregional lymph node, peritoneum, bone) | ||
| cM1c | Both hepatic and extrahepatic metastases | ||
| pM1 | Microscopic confirmation of distant metastasis | ||
| pM1a | Microscopic confirmation of metastasis confined to liver | ||
| pM1b | Microscopic confirmation of metastases in at least one extrahepatic site (eg, lung, ovary, nonregional lymph node, peritoneum, bone) | ||
| pM1c | Microscopic confirmation of both hepatic and extrahepatic metastases | ||
| AJCC prognostic stage group is assigned based on the stage classification and categories chosen.* | |||
| Prognostic stage groups | |||
| When T is... | And N is... | And M is... | Then the stage group is... |
| T1 | NX, N0 | M0 | I |
| T2 | N0 | M0 | IIA |
| T3 | N0 | M0 | IIB |
| T4 | N0 | M0 | IIIA |
| Any T | N1 | M0 | IIIB |
| Any T | Any N | M1 | IV |
AJCC: American Joint Committee on Cancer; TNM: tumor, node, metastasis.
* AJCC data elements required for staging are identified with an asterisk.
