Table 2.
Clinical Staging* |
Pathologic Staging† |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
T | N | M | T | N | M | ||
0 | Tis | N0 | M0 | 0 | Tis | N0 | M0 |
IA | T1a | N0 | M0 | IA | T1a | N0 | M0 |
IB | T1b | N0 | M0 | IB | T1b | N0 | M0 |
T2a | N0 | M0 | T2a | N0 | M0 | ||
IIA | T2b | N0 | M0 | IIA | T2b | N0 | M0 |
T3a | N0 | M0 | T3a | N0 | M0 | ||
IIB | T3b | N0 | M0 | IIB | T3b | N0 | M0 |
T4a | N0 | M0 | T4a | N0 | M0 | ||
IIC | T4b | N0 | M0 | IIC | T4b | N0 | M0 |
III | Any T | N > N0 | M0 | IIIA | T1-4a | N1a | M0 |
T1-4a | N2a | M0 | |||||
IIIB | T1-4b | N1a | M0 | ||||
T1-4b | N2a | M0 | |||||
T1-4a | N1b | M0 | |||||
T1-4a | N2b | M0 | |||||
T1-4a | N2c | M0 | |||||
IIIC | T1-4b | N1b | M0 | ||||
T1-4b | N2b | M0 | |||||
T1-4b | N2c | M0 | |||||
Any T | N3 | M0 | |||||
IV | Any T | Any N | M1 | IV | Any T | Any N | M1 |
Clinical staging includes microstaging of the primary melanoma and clinical/radiologic evaluation for metastases. By convention, it should be used after complete excision of the primary melanoma with clinical assessment for regional and distant metastases.
Pathologic staging includes microstaging of the primary melanoma and pathologic information about the regional lymph nodes after partial (ie, sentinel node biopsy) or complete lymphadenectomy. Pathologic stage 0 or stage IA patients are the exception; they do not require pathologic evaluation of their lymph nodes.