Table 3.
Sarcoma staging system, seventh edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union against Cancer (UICC/AJCC-7, 2010).
| T: primary tumor | ||||
| Tx | Primary tumor cannot be assessed | |||
| T0 | No evidence of primary tumor | |||
| T1 | Tumor ≤5 cm | |||
| T1a Superficial tumor (above the non-invaded fascia | ||||
| T1b Deep tumor (under the fascia or with invasion of the fascia) | ||||
| T2 | Tumor >5 cm | |||
| T2a Superficial tumor | ||||
| T2b Deep tumor (retroperitoneum = always deep) | ||||
| N: regional lymph nodes | ||||
| Nx | Lymph node status unknown | |||
| N0 | No regional lymph nodes | |||
| N1 | Regional lymph node metastasis | |||
| M: distant metastasis | ||||
| Mx | Distant metastasis unknown | |||
| M0 | No distant metastasis | |||
| M1 | Distant metastasis | |||
| G: histopathological grading | ||||
| TNM-two grade system | Three grade systems | Four grade systems | ||
| Gx | Grade cannot be assessed | |||
| Low grade | Grade 1 | G1 | Well-differentiated | |
| G2 | Moderately differentiated | |||
| High grade | Grade 2 | G3 | Poorly differentiated | |
| Grade 3 | G4 | Undifferentiated | ||
| Stage grouping | ||||
| Stage Ia | T1a | N0 | M0 | Low grade |
| T1b | N0 | M0 | Low grade | |
| Stage Ib | T2a | N0 | M0 | Low grade |
| T2b | N0 | M0 | Low grade | |
| Stage IIa | T1a | N0 | M0 | High grade |
| T1b | N0 | M0 | High grade | |
| Stage Iib | T2a | N0 | M0 | High grade |
| Stage III | T2b | N0 | M0 | High grade |
| Stage IV | Any T | N1 | M0 | Any grade |
| Any T | Any N | M1 | Any grade | |
Remark: for bone and soft tissue sarcoma, preference is given to a 2-tier instead of 3- or 4-tier system: low versus high grade.