Terminology of rectal cancer staging

Last revised by Arlene Campos on 30 Jan 2024

The terminology used in describing the stage and features of rectal cancer staging is based on using abbreviations and prefixes to denote the specific stage identifier, modality of assessment and the patient's position in the treatment journey 1.

Terminology

Abbreviations and letters used in staging:

Prefixes added to the above terms:

  • c: clinical

  • p: pathology

  • mr: MRI

  • y: post neoadjuvant therapy

Example uses:

  • ypT2 indicates that the tumor stage at pathological examination of a specimen, following neoadjuvant therapy, was T2.

  • ymrCR indicates signs of a complete response to neoadjuvant therapy on MR imaging

  • cT1 indicates a stage T1 tumor diagnosed clinically, which may include endoscopic examination

See also

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