Types of Cancer :: Gallbladder Cancer - Part V

How is gallbladder cancer staged?

The American Joint Committee on Cancer uses the TNM system to stage gallbladder cancer as follows: (Adapted from AJCC 6 th edition, 2002)

Primary tumor (T)

• TX - Primary tumor cannot be assessed
  
• T0 - No evidence of primary tumor
  
• Tis - Carcinoma in situ
  
• T1 - Tumor invades mucosa or muscle layer
  
• T2 - Tumor invades perimuscular connective tissue
  
• T3 - Tumor invades/perforates the serosa and/or directly invades the liver and/or one other adjacent organ or structure
  
• T4 - Tumor invades main portal vein or hepatic artery or adjacent organs

Regional lymph node (N)

• NX - Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed
  
• N0 - No metastases in regional lymph nodes
  
• N1 – Regional lymph node metastases

Metastases (M)

• MX - Presence of metastases cannot be assessed
  
• M0 - No distant metastases
  
• M1 - Distant metastases

TNM Groupings by Stage

Stage	T	N	M
Stage IA	T1	N0	M0
Stage IB	T2	N0	M0
Stage IIA	T3	N0	M0
Stage IIB	T1 T2 T3	N1 N1 N1	M0 M0 M0
Stage III	T4	Any N	M0
Stage IV	Any T	Any N	M1

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Gallbladder Cancer: A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, And Annotated Research Guide To Internet References