Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Prostate cancer classification
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Prostate cancer may be classified into several subtypes based on TNM system and UICC.
TNM staging
TNM staging
Evaluation of the (primary) tumor (‘T’)[1]
| T | Definition |
|---|---|
| TX | Cannot evaluate the primary tumor |
| T0 | No evidence of tumor |
| T1 | Tumor present, but not detectable clinically or with imaging |
| T1a | Tumor was incidentally found in less than 5% of prostate tissue resected (for other reasons) |
| T1b | Tumor was incidentally found in greater than 5% of prostate tissue resected |
| T1c | Tumor was found in a needle biopsy performed due to an elevated serum PSA |
| T2 | Tumor can be felt (palpated) on examination, but has not spread outside the prostate |
| T2a | Tumor is in half or less than half of one of the prostate gland’s two lobes |
| T2b | Tumor is in more than half of one lobe, but not both |
| T2c | Tumor is in both lobes |
| T3 | Tumor has spread through the prostatic capsule (if it is only part-way through, it is still T2) |
| T3a | Tumor has spread through the capsule on one or both sides |
| T3b | Tumor has invaded one or both seminal vesicles |
| T4 | Tumor has invaded other nearby structures |
Evaluation of the regional lymph nodes (‘N’)
| N | Definition |
|---|---|
| NX | Cannot evaluate the regional lymph nodes |
| N0 | There has been no spread to the regional lymph nodes |
| N1 | There has been spread to the regional lymph nodes |
Evaluation of distant metastasis (‘M’)
| M | Definition |
|---|---|
| M0 | There is no distant metastasis |
| M1 | There is distant metastasis |
UICC staging
UICC staging
The UICC further groups the TNM data into the stages listed in the table below:[2]
- Stage I
| T | N | M | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1, T2a | N0 | M0 | Tumor involves half a lobe or less |
- Stage II
| T | N | M | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| T2b, T2c | N0 | M0 | Tumor involves more than half a lobe but is limited to the prostate |
- Stage III
| T | N | M | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| T3 | N0 | M0 | Tumor has spread beyond the prostatic capsule or into the bladder neck or seminal vesicles |
- Stage IV
| T | N | M | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| T4 | N0 | M0 | Tumor has become fixed to adjoining structures like the rectum or pelvic wall |
| any T | N1 | M0 | Tumor has spread to regional lymph nodes |
| any T | any N | M1 | Tumor has spread to distant sites such as lungs or liver |
References
References
- ↑ National Cancer Institute. Physician Data Query Database 2015. http://www.cancer.gov/publications/pdq
- ↑ “Stages of prostate cancer”.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Steven C. Campbell, M.D., Ph.D. Syed Musadiq Ali M.B.B.S.[2]