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Colon Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)

  • Updated: 02/08/2013

Table 1. Definitions of TNM Stage 0

Stage TNMa,b Dukesc MACd Description  Illustration  
0Tis, N0, M0––Tis = Carcinoma in situ: intraepithelial or invasion of lamina propria.e
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Stage 0 colon/rectal carcinoma in situ; shows a cross-section of the colon/rectum. An inset shows the layers of the colon/rectum wall with abnormal cells in the mucosa layer. Also shown are the submucosa, muscle layers, serosa, a blood vessel, and lymph nodes.
N0 = No regional lymph node metastasis.
M0 = No distant metastasis.

T = primary tumor; N = regional lymph nodes; M = distant metastasis.
Reprinted with permission from AJCC: Colon and rectum. In: Edge SB, Byrd DR, Compton CC, et al., eds.: AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. 7th ed. New York, NY: Springer, 2010, pp 143-164.
The explanations for superscripts a–g are at the end of Table 5.