Date: December 2023
Definition:
Any malignant tumour positively diagnosed with histological confirmation and characterised by the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells and invasion of tissue.
The term malignant tumour includes leukaemia, sarcoma, and lymphoma except those that arise from or are confined to the skin (including cutaneous lymphomas and sarcomas).
For this definition of cancer, the following are not covered:
-
All cancers which are histologically classified as any of the following:
- pre-malignant;
- cancer in situ;
- having borderline malignancy; or
- having low malignant potential;
- All tumours of the prostate unless histologically classified as having a Gleason score of 7 or above or having progressed to at least TNM classification cT2bN0M0 or pT2N0M0 following prostatectomy (removal of the prostate).
- All urothelial tumours unless histologically classified as having progressed to at least TNM classification T1N0M0.
- Malignant melanoma skin cancers that are confined to the epidermis (outer layer of skin).
- All cancers (other than malignant melanoma) that arise from or are confined to one or more of the epidermal, dermal, and subcutaneous tissue layers of the skin (including cutaneous lymphomas and sarcomas).
- Neuroendocrine tumours without lymph node involvement or distant metastases unless classified as WHO Grade 2 or above.
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumours without lymph node involvement or distant metastases unless classified by either AFIP/Miettinen and Lasota as having a moderate or high risk of progression, or as UICC/TNM8 stage II or above.