Basal cell carcinoma staging
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Saarah T. Alkhairy, M.D. Maneesha Nandimandalam, M.B.B.S.[2]
Overview
The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages basal cell carcinoma based on the TNM system. T, M, and N are combined into stages, called stage grouping.
Basal Cell Carcinoma Staging
The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages basal cell carcinoma based on the TNM system:[1]
T – tumor
N – lymph nodes
M – metastasis
The following table summarizes the T categories:
| T Categories | Description |
| TX | Primary tumor cannot be identified |
| Tis | Carcinoma in situ |
| T1 | Tumor ≤2 cm in greatest dimension |
| T2 | Tumor >2 cm, but ≤4 cm in greatest dimension |
| T3 | Tumor >4 cm in maximum dimension or minor bone erosion or perineural invasion or deep invasion |
| T4 | Tumor with gross cortical bone/marrow, skull base invasion and/or skull base foramen invasion |
| T4a | Tumor with gross cortical bone/marrow invasion |
| T4b | Tumor with skull base invasion and/or skull base foramen involvement |
The following table summarizes the N categories:
| N categories | Description |
| NX | Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed |
| N0 | No regional lymph node metastasis |
| N1 | Metastasis in a single ipsilateral lymph node, ≤3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative |
| N2 | Metastasis in a single ipsilateral lymph node, ≤3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE positive; or >3 cm but ≤6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative; or metastases in multiple ipsilateral lymph nodes, none >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative; or in bilateral or contralateral lymph node(s), none >6 cm in greatest dimension, ENE negative. |
| N2a | Metastasis in single ipsilateral node ≤3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE positive; or a single ipsilateral node >3 cm but ≤6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative. |
| N2b | Metastasis in multiple ipsilateral nodes, none >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative. |
| N2c | Metastasis in bilateral or contralateral lymph node(s), none >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative. |
| N3 | Metastasis in a lymph node >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative; or in a single ipsilateral node >3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE positive; or multiple ipsilateral, contralateral, or bilateral nodes, any with ENE-positive status; or a single contralateral node of any size and ENE positive. |
| N3a | Metastasis in a lymph node >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative. |
| N3b | Metastasis in a single ipsilateral node >3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE positive; or multiple ipsilateral, contralateral, or bilateral nodes, any with ENE-positive status; or a single contralateral node of any size and ENE positive. |
The following table summarizes the M categories:
| M categories | Description |
| M0 | No distant metastasis |
| M1 | Distant metastasis |
The T, N, and M categories are combined into stages. The following table summarizes the stage grouping.
| Stage | TNM Grouping |
| 0 | Tis, N0, M0 |
| I | T1, N0, M0 |
| II | T2, N0, M0 |
| III | T3, N0, M0; T1-T3, N1, M0 |
| IV | T1-T3, N2, M0; Any T, N3, M0; T4, any N, M0; Any T, any N, M1 |
References
- ↑ Amin, Mahul (2017). AJCC cancer staging manual. Switzerland: Springer. ISBN 3319406175.
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