Table 3.
The AJCC Staging System of Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma
| TNM staging |
|---|
| Primary tumor (pT)a |
| pTX: primary tumor cannot be assessed |
| pT1: pheochromocytoma <5 cm in greatest dimension |
| pT2: pheochromocytoma ≥5 cm or sympathetic paraganglioma |
| pT3: invasion into surrounding tissues (including extra-adrenal adipose) |
|
|
| Regional lymph nodes (pN)b |
| pNX: regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed |
| pN0: no regional lymph node metastasis |
| pN1: regional lymph node metastasis |
|
|
| Distant metastases (pM) |
| M0: no distant metastasis |
| pM1a: metastasis to bone |
| pM1b: metastasis to non-regional lymph node, liver or lung |
| pM1c: metastasis to bone and multiple other sites |
|
|
| AJCC prognostic stage groups |
| Stage I: T1 N0 M0 |
| Stage II: T2 N0 M0 |
| Stage III: T1–2 N1 M0 or T3 any N M0 |
| Stage IV: any T any N M1 |
AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; TNM, tumor-node-metastasis.
a
Nonfunctional parasympathetic paragangliomas (arising from the head and neck) are excluded in this staging;
b
Regional lymph nodes includes aortic and retroperitoneal nodes for abdominal and pelvic tumors.