Pathologic T

This input is used for staging

Notes

**Note 1:** The substantia propria is the stromal tissue of the conjunctiva underlying the epithelium. The bulbar conjunctiva covers the eyeball, the palpebral conjunctiva lines the eyelids, and the forniceal conjunctiva covers the junction of the eyelid and eyeball. The caruncle is the fleshy prominence at the inner corner of the eye lined by conjunctival epithelium. **Note 2:** Tumors confined to the epithelium are staged as Tis in TNM 7th Edition. Melanoma in situ (includes the term primary acquired melanosis) with atypia replacing greater than 75% of the normal epithelial thickness, with cytological features of epithelial cells, including abundant cytoplasm, vesicular nuclei, or prominent nucleoli, and/or presence of intraepithelial nests of atypical cells. (1) **Note 3:** Quadrants are defined by clock hour, starting at the limbus (e.g., 6, 9, 12, 3) extending from the central cornea, to and beyond the eyelid margins. This will bisect the carcuncle. Quadrants of involvement are coded in **Site-Specific Factor 2, Quadrants**.(1)

NAACCR Item

NAACCR #880
Pathologic T Pathologic T Display Description Registrar Notes
pX pTX Primary tumor cannot be assessed Pathologic classification criteria met, evaluation done:
Physician unable to assess T
Surgical resection of primary tumor, extension not stated
Physician assigns pTX, no other information available to determine T
p0 pT0 No evidence of primary tumor
pIS pTis Melanoma confined to the conjunctival epithelium (in situ) In situ, intraepithelial, noninvasive
Melanoma confined to conjunctival epithelium WITH or WITHOUT corneal extension

Stated as Tis
p1 pT1 Melanoma of the bulbar conjunctiva# Note: T1 has subcategories of T1a, T1b and T1c. Assign T1 only when there is no information available to assign one of the subcategories

Localized, NOS

Stated as T1 [NOS]
p1A pT1a Tumor not more than 0.5 mm in thickness with invasion of the substantia propria Stated as T1a
p1B pT1b Tumor more than 0.5 mm but not more than 1.5 mm in thickness with invasion of the substantia propria Stated as T1b
p1C pT1c Tumor greater than 1.5 mm in thickness with invasion of the substantia propria Stated as T1c
p2 pT2 Melanoma of the palpebral, forniceal, or caruncular conjunctiva## Note: T2 has subcategories of T2a, T2b and T2c. Assign T2 only when there is no information available to assign one of the subcategories

Stated as T2 [NOS]
p2A pT2a Tumor not more than 0.5 mm in thickness with invasion of the substantia propria Stated as T2a
p2B pT2b Tumor more than 0.5 mm but not greater than 1.5 mm in thickness
WITH invasion of the substantia propria
Stated as T2b
p2C pT2c Tumor greatest than 1.5 mm in thickness with invasion of the substantia propria Stated as T2c
p3 pT3 Melanoma invades the eye, eyelid, nasolacrimal system, sinuses, or orbit Conjunctival melanoma with local invasion NOS

Stated as T3
p4 pT4 Melanoma invades CNS Stated as T4
88 88 Not applicable Primary site/histology not TNM defined
Death certificate only (DCO) case
<BLANK> BLANK See Registrar Notes Pathologic classification criteria not met
Pathologic classification criteria met, evaluation done:
Results not documented in patient record
No surgical resection of known primary tumor (not T0)
Resection insufficient for site-specific pathologic assessment
No surgical resection of primary tumor and there isn’t a positive biopsy of a structure in the highest T category and highest N category
Evidence of metastatic disease (pM1), no other workup
Only Pathologic Stage Group documented (no T, N, or M information available)
(1) International Union Against Cancer (UICC) *TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors,* 7th ed., Sobin, LH, Gospodarowicz, M, Wittekind, CH, eds. New York: Wiley, 2009, pgs. 280, 281 \# pT1 not defined in AJCC 7th edition. \## pT2 not defined in AJCC 7th edition.