Oesophageal and oesophagogastric junction neuroendocrine tumour (staging)

Oesophageal and oesophagogastric junction neuroendocrine tumour staging refers to TNM staging of epithelial cancers other than the squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma groups located in the oesophagus or oesophagogastric junction (including tumours whose centre is within the proximal 2 cm of the gastric cardia).

Specific histologies included are well-differentiated (G1) neuroendocrine tumour (carcinoid), moderately differentiated (G2) neuroendocrine tumour, neuroendocrine carcinoma, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, and small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. The individual TNM category definitions are identical to that of other histologies of oesophagus and oesophagogastric junction cancers, but there is no prognostic stage grouping at this time. The following article reflects the 8^th edition published by the American Joint Committee on Cancer, which is used for staging starting 1 January 2018 ^1,2.

For the other histological types, please refer to their dedicated staging articles:  

• oesophageal and oesophagogastric junction squamous cell carcinoma (staging)
• oesophageal and oesophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (staging)

Primary tumour (T)

• Tx: primary tumour cannot be assessed
• T0: no evidence of primary tumour
• Tis: high-grade dysplasia (malignant cells confined to the epithelium by the basement membrane)
• T1: tumour invades lamina propria, muscularis mucosae or submucosa
  • T1a: invades lamina propria or muscularis mucosae
  • T1b: invades submucosa
• T2: tumour invades muscularis propria
• T3: tumour invades adventitia
• T4: tumour invades adjacent structures
  • T4a: tumour invades pleura, pericardium, azygos vein, diaphragm, or peritoneum
  • T4b: tumour invades other adjacent structures, e.g. aorta, vertebra, or trachea

Regional lymph node (N)

• Nx: regional nodes cannot be assessed
• N0: no regional lymph node metastasis
• N1: metastasis in 1-2 regional nodes
• N2: metastasis in 3-6 regional nodes
• N3: metastasis in ≥7 regional nodes

The regional lymph node stations are defined separately: oesophageal lymph node stations.

​Distant metastasis (M)

• cM0: no distant metastasis
• cM1: distant metastasis clinically present
• pM1: distant metastasis pathologically (microscopically) confirmed