Table 1.
Staging systems for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
| The sixth edition of the AJCC staging system | Fuzhou 1992 staging system of China |
|---|---|
| Tumor in nasopharynx (T) | Primary tumor (T) |
| T1: tumor confined to the nasopharynx | T1: Tumor confined to the nasopharynx |
| T2: tumor extends to soft tissues of oropharynx and/or nasal fossa T2a: without parapharyngeal extension T2b: with parapharyngeal extension |
T2: Involvement of nasal fossa, oropharynx, soft palate prevertebral soft tissue, and parapharyngeal space extension before SO line* |
| T3: tumor invades bony structures and/or paranasal sinuses | T3: extension over SO line, involvement of anterior or posterior cranial nerves alone, skull base, pterygoid process zone, and pterygopalatine fossa |
| T4: tumor with intracranial extension and/or involvement of cranial nerves, infratemporal fossa, hypopharynx, orbit, or masticator space | T4: involvement of both anterior and posterior cranial nerves, paranasal sinus, cavernous sinus, orbit, infratemporal fossa, and direct invasion of first or second cervical vertebra |
| Regional lymph nodes (N) | Regional lymph nodes (N) |
| N0: no regional lymph node metastasis | N0: no enlarged lymph node |
| N1: unilateral metastasis in lymph node(s), ≤6 cm in greatest dimension, above the supraclavicular fossa | N1: the diameter of upper neck lymph node <4 cm, movable |
| N2: bilateral metastasis in lymph node(s), ≤6 cm in greatest dimension, above the supraclavicular fossa | N2: lower neck§ lymph node or the diameter between 4 and 7 cm |
| N3: metastasis in lymph node(s) N3a: >6 cm in greatest dimension N3b: extension to the supraclavicular fossa |
N3: supraclavicular lymph node or the diameter >7 cm or fixed or skin infiltration |
| Distant metastasis (M) M0: no distant metastasis M1: distant metastasis |
Distant metastasis (M) M0: absence of distant metastasis M1: presence distant metastasis |
| Stage grouping | Stage grouping |
| Stage I: T1 N0 M0 | Stage I: T1 N0 M0 |
| Stage IIA: T2a N0 M0 | Stage II: T2 N0-1 M0 |
| Stage IIB: T1-2 N1 M0; T2b N0 M0; T1-2 | Stage III: T3 N0-2 M0; T1-3 N2 M0 |
| N1 M0 | Stage IVA: T4 any N, M0 |
| Stage III: T1-3 N2 M0; T3 N0-1 M0 | Stage IVB: any T, any N, M1 |
| Stage IVA: T4 N0-2 M0; any T N3, M0 | |
| Stage IVB: any T N3 M0 | |
| Stage IVC: any T, any N M1 |
*The line connected from the styloid process to the midpoint on posterior edge of the great occipital foramen.
§The border between upper and lower neck is the lower margin of the cricoid cartilage.