The stage of cancer shows how much cancer has spread in the body. The treatment is often established according to the stage of cancer. There are different ways to establish the stage, the main being the TNM system.

Tumor (T)

• Tis (in situ carcinoma) – a very early pancreatic cancer that has not spread;
• T1 – the tumor is inside the pancreas and is 2 cm or less:
• T1A – the tumor is no more than 0.5 cm;
• T1B – the tumor is greater than 0.5 cm but not more than 1 cm;
• T1C – the tumor is greater than 1 cm but not more than 2 cm.
• T2 – Cancer is greater than 2 cm but not more than 4 cm.
• T3 – cancer has a size greater than 4 cm.
• T4 – cancer has developed outside the pancreas in nearby blood vessels.

Nodules (N)

The node (N) shows whether the cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes.

• No – there are no lymph nodes containing cancer.
• N1- there are 1 to 3 lymph nodes containing cancer cells.
• N2 – there is cancer in more than 4 lymph nodes. C

Metastasis (M)

Shows whether cancer cells have spread to another part of the body.

• M0 – cancer has not spread to distant organs such as the liver or lungs.
• M1 – cancer has spread to other organs.