Stage of Cancer.

When your doctor mentions stage of cancer, it indicates basically the state or the condition or the severity of the cancer. It also indicates to what extent the cancer has progressed or how much the cancer has spread. There are different stages of cancer and each stage of cancer has a story to tell about the condition of the cancer.

Staging of Cancer.

Staging of cancer is very important for your oncologist or cancer specialist because

• It helps to determine the type of treatment to be given for that particular cancer patient.
• It helps to evaluate the prognosis due to the treatment.
• And staging of cancer helps to bring about a global benefit in collecting information on cancer and cancer statistics for better research.

Correct staging of the cancer is therefore important because incorrect staging of cancer will lead to incorrect treatment. There are different types of staging systems used for different cancers and they are described below.

Types  of Staging of Cancer.

As  mentioned above there are different ways to stage the different types of cancers. The most commonly used are:

1)      TNM staging system where

• T stands for Tumor,
• N stands for the Node of the lymphatic system and
• M stands for metastasis. (spread of cancer).

2)      The Roman Numeral System or overall staging system where roman numerals from 0 to IV are used to indicate the stage of the cancer.

1) Cancer Stages of TNM Staging System.

TNM staging of cancer is usually used to stage solid malignant tumors. Most of the tumors are classified by this system but some like brain tumors are not. TNM staging of cancer was developed by a non governmental body called UICC or International Union Against Cancer with the purpose to bring about a global consensus to stage cancers and access its spread. This purpose has been achieved and TNM is globally used. This also helped to bring about a coordinated global effort in cancer research. The UICC cancer staging has the same definitions of the AJCC cancer staging (American Joint Committee on Cancer).

Parameters of TNM staging.

Numbers are suffixed after T, N and M to indicate the progress of cancer. A ‘X’ suffixed after T or N or M simply means the cancer has yet to be assessed or evaluated and therefore no staging has been done yet.

• 1 to 4 are suffixed after ‘T’ to indicate the size of the tumor. A T1 will mean a smaller sized tumor while a T4 will indicate a larger sized tumor.
• Similarly 0 to 3 are suffixed after ‘N’ to indicate extent of spread of malignancy to the lymph nodes. N0 will indicate that there has been no spread or metastasis of malignancy to the lymph node. N1 will mean spread to the local regional lymph node. N3 will mean more involvement to the distal and more numerous lymph nodes. N2 gives the metastasis involvement between N1 and N3.
• 0 and 1 are used after M to indicate metastasis to other distant organs. M0 means no metastasis and M1 will indicate that the malignancy has spread from the primary site to distant organs. This is the final stage of cancer.

2) Cancer Stages of Roman Numeral Staging System.

The stage of cancer is identified using roman numbers 0 to IV – the higher the number the more progressive the cancer is. The 4 cancer stages can also give an idea to the doctor of the survival chances of the cancer patient.

For example:

• Cancer of stage 0 will mean a localized early stage of cancer, wherein cancer cells have begun to form, they are localized to one tissue or part, have not invaded to the neighboring tissues and possibly the tumor is yet to form. This is called cancer in situ.
• Stage I cancer will indicate that the cancer is still small and contained in the organ of origin.
• Stage II cancer is bigger than stage I but has not invaded the neighboring tissues. However there may or may not be some involvement of the local lymph nodes.
• Stage III cancer is larger than stage II cancer and has spread to the local and distal lymph nodes.
• Stage IV cancer indicates that the cancer has spread or metastasized to the distal organs. This is the last stage of cancer.

Picture showing stages of cancer.

Tests to determine Stage of Cancer.

The 4 cancer stages mentioned above are arrived at after careful examination of the cancer patient. Just signs and symptoms of cancer are not enough to confirm the stage of cancer. A thorough investigation is necessary which includes :

• Clinical examination methods, wherein after a thorough physical examination of the patient, the doctor determines the location and size of the tumor and  feels for any enlarged lymph nodes in the body.
• Pathological investigation of blood, stools, urine and body fluids to look for any increased or decreased levels which may indicate malignancy.
• Radiological studies such as X rays, CT scans, MRIs and PET scans which will show the location and size of the malignant tumor and also its spread, if any.
• Surgical investigation such as a surgical biopsy which is examined in pathology for any malignant signs. A surgical report prepared during surgery which mentions, confirms or reports any changes in the size of the tumor and on its spread.

Summary:

• Cancer staging has been evolved to give the doctor an idea of the cancer he is dealing with.
• There are various Stages of Cancer.
• Stage of cancer is determined through complex tests.
• Basically there are 4 Cancer Stages, which tell the doctor the severity and spread of malignancy to help him determine the line of treatment.

Related posts:

1. Breast Cancer Stages.
2. Stages of Mesothelioma.
3. Screening for Cancer|Gene Testing For Cancer.
4. Breast Cancer Survival.
5. Gene Therapy for Cancer.
6. How Cancer is Diagnosed.
7. Treatment Options for Cancer.
8. Surgery Treatment for Cancer.