| Primary tumor (T) | |||
| T category | T criteria | ||
| TX | Tumor cannot be assessed | ||
| T1 | Tumor limited to the pancreas,* <2 cm | ||
| T2 | Tumor limited to the pancreas,* 2 to 4 cm | ||
| T3 | Tumor limited to the pancreas,* >4 cm; or tumor invading the duodenum or common bile duct | ||
| T4 | Tumor invading adjacent organs (stomach, spleen, colon, adrenal gland) or the wall of large vessels (celiac axis or the superior mesenteric artery) | ||
| * Limited to the pancreas means there is no invasion of adjacent organs (stomach, spleen, colon, adrenal gland) or the wall of large vessels (celiac axis or the superior mesenteric artery). Extension of tumor into peripancreatic adipose tissue is NOT a basis for staging. NOTE: Multiple tumors should be designated as such (the largest tumor should be used to assign T category):
| |||
| Regional lymph nodes (N) | |||
| N category | N criteria | ||
| NX | Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed | ||
| N0 | No regional lymph node involvement | ||
| N1 | Regional lymph node involvement | ||
| Distant metastasis (M) | |||
| M category | M criteria | ||
| M0 | No distant metastasis | ||
| M1 | Distant metastases | ||
| M1a | Metastasis confined to liver | ||
| M1b | Metastases in at least one extrahepatic site (eg, lung, ovary, nonregional lymph node, peritoneum, bone) | ||
| M1c | Both hepatic and extrahepatic metastases | ||
| Prognostic stage groups | |||
| When T is... | And N is... | And M is... | Then the stage group is... |
| T1 | N0 | M0 | I |
| T2 | N0 | M0 | II |
| T3 | N0 | M0 | II |
| T4 | N0 | M0 | III |
| Any T | N1 | M0 | III |
| Any T | Any N | M1 | IV |
