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AMA Manual of Style Committee

Contents

Cancer Stage

Chapter:
Nomenclature
Author(s):

Harriet S. Meyer

15.2.1 Cancer Stage

Cancer stages are expressed with the use of capital roman numerals:

stage I

stage II

stage III

stage IV

The term “stage 0” usually indicates carcinoma in situ.

Histologic grades are expressed with arabic numerals, eg, grade 2.

Letter and numerical suffixes, usually set on the line, may be added to subdivide individual cancer stages, as in the following examples:

stage 0a

stage 0is

stage IA

stage IE

stage IB2

stage IIIE+S

stage IVA

stage IVB

(E indicates extralymphatic spread; S, splenic involvement [as seen in Hodgkin disease]; “is,” in situ.)