TNM staging system Archives

Tag: TNM staging system

A system to describe the amount and spread of cancer in a patient’s body, using TNM.

T describes the size of the tumor and any spread of cancer into nearby tissue;

N describes spread of cancer to nearby lymph nodes;

M describes metastasis (spread of cancer to other parts of the body).

This system was created and is updated by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), ENETS also has definitions.

The TNM staging system is used to describe most types of cancer.

20 Jun 2026

By Ronny Allan

0 Comments

Small tumours – big impact

Patient AdvocacyCancer staging, Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), TNM staging system

Many Neuroendocrine Tumours are small. Not my words but I first discovered the term in 2021 when reading the words of Dr Mark Lewis, Oncologist and NET Patient. He himself, was citing this term referencing back to giants in the world of NETs over many decades. There was a seminal lecture entitled "An Odyssey in the Land of Small Tumors". Mark made the point in 2021 that there was still a lot to do in the land of small tumors (including the use of misnomer terms). As another patient (but with a different type than Mark), my initial comment was…

11 Mar 2024

By Ronny Allan

25 Comments

The Classification, Grading and Staging of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (incorporating WHO 2026 classification changes)

Patient AdvocacyBlue Book, Cancer grading, Cancer staging, Carcinoid tumour, Differentiation, ENETS, Grade, High grade neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Intermediate grade NET, Ki-67, Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), Low Grade NETs, MEN1 syndrome, Mitotic count, Mitotic rate, Neuroendocrine cancer, Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), Neuroendocrine tumour (NET), Pathology, Poorly differentiated, Proliferative rate, Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC), Stage, Surgery, TNM staging system, Well differentiated

Updated 1 August 2026 This section of my website has been published and regularly updated since 2015 but the most recent updates to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Classifications for Digestive and Thoracic Systems are about to be published. You may see these important publications called 'Blue Books'. Digestive Systems The main changes worth mentioning here is the addition of two new subtypes of Gastric NETs - Types IV and V, a genetic mutation and PPI related respectively. A larger update will be added when the publication is available online. Thoracic Systems (Lung/Thymus) The "multidisciplinary expert group" that drafted these…

25 Feb 2024

By Ronny Allan

0 Comments

Staging of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs)

Patient AdvocacyEpidemiology, Stage, TNM staging system

Stage of cancer What is stage? The extent of a cancer in the body. Staging is usually based on the size of the tumour, whether lymph nodes contain cancer, and whether the cancer has spread from the original site to other parts of the body. What are the stage numbers? Most types of cancers have 4 stages, numbered from 1 to 4 indicating a rising spread as the number is bigger. Some cancers have a stage 0 but I don't believe this applies to Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs). Often doctors write the stage down in Roman numerals, so you may see…