Part of Cancer staging guidance sheets
Soft tissues (ICD10 C15-C26, C34-C37 C38.1-3, C47-C49, C51-C53, C58, C60-C68)
Introduction
This is the data sheet for TNM 9th edition staging of the soft tissues (ICD10 C15-C26, C34-C37, C38.1-3, C47-C49, C51-C53, C58, C60-C68)
For more detailed information regarding TNM staging, please see pages 126-128 of the UICC TNM 9 book.
Stage groupings
Extremity and Superficial Trunk and Retroperitoneum
|
Stage Group |
T stage |
N stage |
M stage |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stage IA |
T1 |
N0 |
M0 |
G1, GX low grade |
|
Stage IB |
T2, T3, T4 |
N0 |
M0 |
G1, GX low grade |
|
Stage II |
T1 |
N0 |
M0 |
G2, G3 high grade |
|
Stage IIIA |
T2 |
N0 |
M0 |
G2, G3 high grade |
|
Stage IIIB |
T3, T4 |
N0 |
M0 |
G2, G3 high grade |
|
Stage IIIB |
Any T |
N1* |
M0 |
Any G |
|
Stage IV |
Any T |
Any N |
M1 |
Any G |
* AJCC classifies N1 as stage IV for extremity and superficial trunk
Head and Neck and Thoracic and Abdominal Viscera
There is no stage for soft tissue sarcoma of the head and neck and thoracic and abdominal viscera.
TNM clinical classification
T - primary tumour
|
T value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cTX |
Primary tumour cannot be assessed |
|
cT0 |
No evidence of primary tumour |
Extremity and Superficial Trunk
|
T value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cT1 |
Tumour 5 cm or less in greatest dimension |
|
cT2 |
Tumour more than 5 cm but no more than 10 cm in greatest dimension |
|
cT3 |
Tumour more than 10 cm but no more than 15 cm in greatest dimension |
|
cT4 |
Tumour more than 15 cm in greatest dimension |
Retroperitoneum
|
T value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cT1 |
Tumour 5 cm or less in greatest dimension |
|
cT2 |
Tumour more than 5 cm but no more than 10 cm in greatest dimension |
|
cT3 |
Tumour more than 10 cm but no more than 15 cm in greatest dimension |
|
cT4 |
Tumour more than 15 cm in greatest dimension |
Head and Neck
|
T value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cT1 |
Tumour 2 cm or less in greatest dimension |
|
cT2 |
Tumour more than 2 cm but no more than 4 cm in greatest dimension |
|
cT3 |
Tumour more than 4 cm in greatest dimension |
|
cT4a |
Tumour invades the orbit, skull base or dura, central compartment viscera, facial skeleton, and or pterygoid muscles |
|
cT4b |
Tumour invades the brain parenchyma, encases the carotid artery, invades prevertebral muscle or involves the central nervous system by perineural spread |
Thoracic and Abdominal Viscera
|
T value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cT1 |
Tumour confined to a single organ |
|
cT2a |
Tumour invades serosa or visceral peritoneum |
|
cT2b |
Tumour with microscopic extension beyond the serosa |
|
cT3 |
Tumour invades another organ or macroscopic extension beyond the serosa |
|
cT4a |
Multifocal tumour involving no more than two sites in one organ |
|
cT4b |
Multifocal tumour involving more than two sites but not more then 5 sites |
|
cT4c |
Multifocal tumour involving more than five sites |
N - regional lymph nodes
|
N value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cNX |
Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed |
|
cN0 |
No regional lymph node metastasis |
|
cN1 |
Regional lymph node metastasis |
M - distant metastasis
|
M value |
Description |
|---|---|
|
cM0 |
No distant metastasis |
|
cM1 |
Distant metastasis |
TNM pathological classification
The pT and pN categories correspond to the cT and cN categories as per above.
Last edited: 16 January 2026 3:55 pm
