Part of Cancer staging guidance sheets
Carcinoma of skin (excluding eyelid, head and neck, perianal, vulva and penis) (ICD10 C44.5-7, C63.2)
Introduction
This is the data sheet for TNM 9th edition staging of the carcinoma of skin (excluding eyelid, head and neck, perianal, vulva and penis) (ICD10 C44.5-7, C63.2)
For more detailed information regarding TNM staging, please see pages 135-137 of the UICC TNM 9 book.
Stage groupings
|
Stage Group |
T stage |
N stage |
M stage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Stage 0 |
Tis |
N0 |
M0 |
|
Stage I |
T1 |
N0 |
M0 |
|
Stage II |
T2 |
N0 |
M0 |
|
Stage III |
T3 |
N0 |
M0 |
|
|
T1, T2, T3 |
N1 |
M0 |
|
Stage IVA |
T1, T2, T3 |
N2, N3 |
M0 |
|
|
T4 |
Any N |
M0 |
|
Stage IVB |
Any T |
Any N |
M1 |
TNM clinical classification
T - primary tumour
|
T value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cTX |
Primary tumour cannot be identified |
|
cT0 |
No evidence of primary tumour |
|
cTis |
Carcinoma in situ |
|
cT1 |
Tumour 2 cm or less in greatest dimension |
|
cT2 |
Tumour >2 cm and ≤4 cm in greatest dimension |
|
cT3 |
Tumour >4 cm in greatest dimension or minor bone erosion or perineural invasion or deep invasion* |
|
cT4a |
Tumour with gross cortical bone/marrow invasion |
|
cT4b |
Tumour with axial skeleton invasion including foraminal involvement and/or vertebral foramen involvement to the epidural space |
Note:
*Deep invasion is defined as invasion beyond the subcutaneous fat or >6 mm (as measured from the granular layer of adjacent normal epidermis to the base of the tumour).
Perineural invasion is defined as tumour cells within the nerve sheath of a nerve lying deeper than the dermis or measuring 0.1 mm or larger in calibre or involvement of five or more nerves per section, without foramen or skull base invasion or transgression.
In the case of multiple simultaneous tumours, the tumour with the highest T category is classified and the number of separate tumours is indicated in parentheses, e.g., T2(5).
N - regional lymph nodes
|
N value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cNX |
Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed |
|
cN0 |
No regional lymph node metastasis |
|
cN1 |
Metastasis in a single lymph node 3 cm or less in greatest dimension |
|
cN2 |
Metastasis in a single ipsilateral lymph node, more than 3 cm but not more than 6 cm in greatest dimension or in multiple ipsilateral nodes none more than 6 cm in greatest dimension |
|
cN3 |
Metastasis in a lymph node more than 6 cm in greatest dimension |
M - distant metastasis
|
M value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cM0 |
No distant metastasis |
|
cM1 |
Distant metastasis disease* |
Note:
* Contralateral nodes in non‐melanoma non‐head and neck cancer are distant metastases.
TNM pathological classification
pT - primary tumour
The pT and pN categories correspond to the cT and cN categories
pN - regional lymph nodes
|
pN value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
pN0 |
Histological examination of a regional lymphadenectomy specimen will ordinarily include 6 or more lymph nodes. If the lymph nodes are negative, but the number ordinarily examined is not met, classify as pN0. |
Last edited: 16 January 2026 3:49 pm
