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. 2016 Aug 16;11(18):2443–2456. doi: 10.2217/nnm-2016-0194

Figure 1. . Stages of colorectal cancer according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer.

Figure 1. 

Stage 0; tumor confined to mucosa (carcinoma in situ). Stage I: tumor invades submucosa and muscularis propria. Stage II: tumor invades through the muscularis propria into pericolorectal tissues (IIA), then penetrates to the surface of the visceral peritoneum (IIB), then directly invades or is adherent to other organs or structures (IIC). Stage III: tumor invades muscularis propria with metastases in 1–3 regional lymph nodes or nearby tissue, or invades submucosa with metastases in 4–6 regional lymph nodes (IIIA). Then tumor penetrates to the surface of the visceral peritoneum with metastases in 1–3 regional lymph nodes or nearby tissue, or invades through the muscularis propria into pericolorectal tissues with metastases in 4–6 regional lymph nodes, or invades muscularis propria with metastases in 7 or more regional lymph nodes (IIIB). Then tumor penetrates to the surface of the visceral peritoneum with metastases in 4–6 regional lymph nodes, or invades through the muscularis propria into pericolorectal tissues with metastases in 7 or more regional lymph nodes, or directly invades or is adherent to other organs or structures with metastases in one or more regional lymph nodes (IIIC). Stage IV: metastasis confined to one organ or site (e.g., liver, lung, ovary, nonregional node).