Table 3.
Summary of the AJCC, UICC, and BWH Tumor (T) Staging Systems
| Tumor Staging System |
Definition |
|---|---|
| AJCC | |
| T1 | Tumor ≤2 cm in greatest dimension, with <2 high-risk factorsa |
| T2 | Tumor >2 cm in greatest dimension or with ≥2 high-risk factorsa |
| T3 | Tumor with invasion of orbit, maxilla, mandible, or temporal bones |
| T4 | Tumor with invasion of other bones or direct perineural invasion of skull base |
| UICC | |
| T1 | Tumor ≤2 cm in greatest dimension |
| T2 | Tumor >2 cm in greatest dimension |
| T3 | Tumor with invasion of deep structures (eg, muscle, cartilage, bone [excluding axial skeleton], orbit) |
| T4 | Tumor with invasion of axial skeleton or direct perineural invasion of skull base |
| BWH | |
| T1 | 0 high-risk factorsb |
| T2a | 1 high-risk factor |
| T2b | 2–3 high-risk factors |
| T3 | ≥4 high-risk factors or bone invasion |
Abbreviations: AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; BWH, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; T, tumor stage from TNM staging system; UICC, International Union Against Cancer.
AJCC high-risk factors include >2 mm thickness, Clark level ≥IV, perineural invasion, primary site ear, primary site non-hair-bearing lip, or poorly differentiated histology.
BWH high-risk factors include tumor diameter ≥2 cm, poorly differentiated histologic findings, perineural invasion ≥0.1 mm, and tumor invasion beyond fat (excluding bone invasion, which automatically upgrades tumor to BWH T3).
Adapted from Karia et al.6 Used with permission.