State staging of oral cancers?

Oral cancers are staged based on the extent of the tumor and the spread of cancer to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body. The staging system commonly used for oral cancers is the TNM system, which stands for Tumor, Node, and Metastasis.

Tumor (T) staging:
- T1: The tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller in size and is limited to the primary site.
- T2: The tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not more than 4 centimeters in size and is limited to the primary site.
- T3: The tumor is larger than 4 centimeters in size or has invaded nearby structures such as the bone, muscle, or skin.
- T4: The tumor has invaded deeper structures, such as the jawbone, tongue, or nerves, or has spread to adjacent tissues.

Node (N) staging:
- N0: No regional lymph node involvement.
- N1: Cancer has spread to a single lymph node on the same side as the primary tumor, and the lymph node is 3 centimeters or smaller in size.
- N2: Cancer has spread to a single lymph node on the same side as the primary tumor, and the lymph node is larger than 3 centimeters but not more than 6 centimeters in size, or multiple lymph nodes on the same side are involved and are 6 centimeters or smaller in size.
- N3: Cancer has spread to a lymph node larger than 6 centimeters in size or has spread to multiple lymph nodes, some of which may be on the opposite side of the primary tumor.

Metastasis (M) staging:
- M0: No distant metastasis.
- M1: Cancer has spread to distant sites, such as the lungs, liver, or bones.

Combining the T, N, and M stages provides an overall stage for oral cancers, ranging from stage I to stage IV. The higher the stage number, the more advanced the cancer is and the greater the extent of spread.