Table 1. TNM classification of urinary bladder cancer based on the AJCC 7th and 8th edition (9,22).

Primary tumor (T)

TX: Primary tumor cannot be assessed

T0: No evidence of primary tumor

Ta: Noninvasive papillary carcinoma

Tis: Carcinoma in situ; “flat tumor”

T1: Tumor invades subepithelial connective tissue

T2: Tumor invades muscular propria

T2a: Tumor invades superficial muscularis propria (inner half)

T2b: Tumor invades deep muscularis propria (outer half)

T3: Tumor invades perivesical tissue

T3a: Microscopically

T3b: Macroscopically (extravesical mass)

T4: Tumor invades any of the following: prostatic stroma, seminal vesicles, uterus, vagina, pelvic wall, abdominal wall

T4a: Tumor invades prostatic stroma, uterus, vagina

T4b: Tumor invades pelvic wall, abdominal wall

Regional lymph nodes (N)‡

NX: Lymph nodes cannot be assessed

N0: No lymph node metastasis

N1: Single regional lymph node metastasis in the true pelvis (perivesical, hypogastric, obturator, external iliac, or presacral lymph node)

N2: Multiple regional lymph node metastasis in the true pelvis (same as N1)

N3: Lymph node metastasis to the common iliac lymph nodes

Distant metastasis (M)

M0: No distant metastasis

M1: Nonregional lymph node metastasis or distant organ metastases

M1a: Nonregional lymph node metastasis only: common iliac or upper retroperitoneal nodes

M1b: Non-lymph node distant metastases

^‡, regional lymph nodes include both primary and secondary drainage regions. All other nodes above the aortic.