TNM classification (Open Table in a new window) The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) tumor/node/metastasis (TNM) classifications for oral cavity and laryngeal cancers are provided below, along with histologic grades and anatomic stages. Most hospitals and medical centers use the TNM system as their main method for cancer reporting. Abstract. The most commonly used staging systems for head and neck cancers are the TNM and number staging system. Globally, over 90% of malignancies affecting the mouth and maxillofacial region are oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC), 80-90% of which are associated with tobacco and alcohol use. Staging means finding out how big the cancer is and if it has spread to other parts of your body. Staging and grading form cornerstone during cancer management. Grade: For most cancers, the grade is a measure of how abnormal the cancer cells look under the microscope. To do this, we created two description protocols for cancers: grading and staging. Grades are denoted by numbers 1 to 4. Staging is a way to describe how much cancer is in the body and where it is located. Staging is a clinical and histological determination that depends on the natural course of each particular type of cancer (O’Mary, 1993) and once a diagnosis of malignancy has been confirmed, the stage of the cancer must be ascertained. After cancer is diagnosed, healthcare provides need to learn as much as they can about it. T1 – The primary tumor is =2 cm in size and the depth of invasion (DOI) is =5 mm. Generally, the higher the stage number, the more the cancer has spread. The staging is slightly different for each type of head and neck cancer. Grading describes how aggressive the cancer is and how fast it's likely to spread in future. The 3 grades of mouth cancer are: low grade – the slowest ; moderate grade; high grade – the most aggressive ; Staging and grading will help determine whether you have: early mouth cancer, which usually curable with an operation Staging prostate cancer. No cancer cells are present in deeper layers of tissue, nearby structures, lymph nodes or distant sites (carcinoma in situ). For oral cancer there are 5 stages – stage 0 followed by stages 1 to 4. The most common staging system for oral cancer is the TNM system. Cancer staging and grading After determining the existence of cancer, the next step is to be familiar with four important aspects. If a tumor is suspected to be malignant, a doctor removes all or part of it during a procedure called a biopsy. The abnormality of cells determine the grade of cancer. Pathology grading systems classify the microscopic cell appearance abnormality and deviations in their rate of growth with the goal of predicting developments at tissue level (see also the 4 major histological changes in dysplasia). Grading in cancer is distinguished from staging, which is a measure of the extent to which the cancer has spread. No spread to nearby lymph nodes or distant body parts. It also helps predict how long the person will survive or whether there is a good chance for a cure. Knowing the stage and grade of a person's cancer helps doctors know what treatment to use. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy of the head and neck region. There are four stages of oral cancer. Tumor grade, which refers to how abnormal the cancer cells look and how likely the tumor is to grow and spread; The TNM Staging System. Different staging and grading systems are used for different cancers. Grading describes how quickly the cancer may grow and spread. 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