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The tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) classification of the American Joint Committee on Cancer [24] |
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| Primary Tumor (T) |
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| TX |
Primary tumor cannot be assessed |
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| TO |
No evidence of primary tumor |
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| Tis |
Carcinoma in situ |
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| Nasopharynx |
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| T1 |
Tumor confined to the nasopharynx |
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| T2 |
Tumor extends to soft tissues of oropharynx and/or nasal fossa |
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| • T2a |
• without parapharyngeal extension |
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| • T2b |
• with parapharyngeal extension |
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| T3 |
Tumor invades bony structures and/or paranasal sinuses |
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| T4 |
Tumor with intracranial extension and/or involvement of cranial nerves, infratemporal fossa, hypopharynx, or orbit, or masticator space |
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| Regional Lymph Nodes (N): Nasopharynx |
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| The distribution of regional lymph node spread from nasopharyngeal cancer, particularly of the undifferentiated type, is different than that of other head and neck mucosal cancers and justifies use of a different N classification scheme. In children this does not have a prognostic impact. |
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| NX |
Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed |
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| N0 |
No regional lymph node metastasis |
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| N1 |
Unilateral metastasis in lymph node(s), 6 cm or less in greatest dimension, above the supraclavicular fossa. |
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| N2 |
Bilateral metastasis in lymph node (s) 6 cm or less in greatest dimension, above the supraclavicular fossa |
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| N3 |
Metastasis in a lymph node(s) |
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| • N3a |
• greater than 6 cm in dimension |
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| • N3b |
• extension to the supraclavicular fossa |
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| Distant Metastasis (M) |
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| MX |
Distant metastasis cannot be assessed |
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| M0 |
No distant metastasis |
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| M1 |
Distant metastasis |
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Brennan Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 2006 1:23 doi:10.1186/1750-1172-1-23 |
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