Nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) TNM

TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours (8^th Edition, UICC, 2017)

 

Primary Tumour (T)

T1        Tumour confined to nasopharynx, or extends to oropharynx and/or nasal cavity without parapharyngeal involvement

T2        Tumour with extension to parapharyngeal space and/or infiltration of the medial pterygoid, lateral pterygoid, and/or prevertebral muscles

T3        Tumour invades bony structures of skull base cervical vertebra, pterygoid structures, and/or paranasal sinuses

T4        Tumour with intracranial extension and/or involvement of cranial nerves, hypopharynx, orbit, parotid gland and/or infiltration beyond the lateral surface of   the lateral pterygoid muscle

 

Regional Lymph Nodes (N)

NX        Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed

N0        No regional lymph node metastasis

N1        Unilateral metastasis, in cervical lymph node(s), and/or unilateral or bilateral metastasis in retropharyngeal lymph nodes, 6 cm or less in greatest  dimension, above the caudal border of cricoid cartilage

N2        Bilateral metastasis in cervical lymph node(s), 6 cm or less in greatest dimension, above the caudal border of cricoid cartilage

N3        Metastasis in cervical lymph node(s) greater than 6 cm in dimension and/or extension below the caudal border of cricoid cartilage

Note:    Midline nodes are considered ipsilateral nodes.

 

Distant Metastasis (M)

M0        No distant metastasis

M1        Distant metastasis

 

Pathological TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours (8^th Edition, UICC, 2017)

 

Primary tumour

pT1      Tumour confined to nasopharynx, or extends to oropharynx and/or nasal cavity without parapharyngeal involvement

pT2      Tumour with extension to parapharyngeal space and/or infiltration of the medial pterygoid, lateral pterygoid, and/or prevertebral muscles

pT3      Tumour invades bony structures of skull base cervical vertebrae, pterygoid structures and/or paranasal sinuses

pT4      Tumour with intracranial extension and/or involvement of cranial nerves, hypopharynx, orbit, parotid gland and/or infiltration beyond the lateral surface of the lateral pterygoid muscle

 

A selective neck dissection will ordinarily yield more than 10 lymph nodes for histological assessment. A radical neck dissection with ordinarily yield more than 15 lymph nodes for histological assessment. Midline lymph nodes are considered ipsilateral nodes.

 

Regional lymph nodes

pNX      Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed

pN0      No regional lymph node metastasis

pN1      Unilateral metastasis, in cervical lymph node (s), and/or unilateral or bilateral metastasis in retropharyngeal lymph nodes, 6cm of less in greatest dimension, above the caudal border of the cricoid cartilage

pN2      Bilateral metastasis in cervical lymph node (s), 6cm or less in greatest dimension, above the caudal border of the cricoid cartilage

pN3      Metastasis in cervical lymph node (s) greater than 6cm in dimension and/or extension below the caudal border of cricoid cartilage

 

Metastasis

pM1      Histologically confirmed metastasis