Cancer Staging and Grading
Following a diagnosis of cancer, an important next
step is to accurately determine the stage of
the cancer. Staging is a system that describes
the size and extent that the cancer has spread.
Different stages of cancer may be treated differently. That's why, in order
for you to discuss treatment options with your health care team, you need
to know the correct stage of your cancer.
It is important to know, however, that some cancers are not staged. Talk
with your doctor about your specific case. And be sure to keep track of
your diagnostic results with Tools
for Organizing Your Cancer Information.
TNM Cancer Staging
There are many cancer staging systems,
but TNM Staging is the most common to measure the extent of the spread
of cancer1:
- "T" refers to the size of the tumor.
- "N" refers to the number and location of lymph nodes involved.
- "M" refers to metastasis.
Generally, the lower the cancer stage, the better the treatment prognosis (prediction
of the result).
- Stage 1 —small cancer found only in the organ where it started
- Stage 2 —larger cancer that may or may not have spread to the lymph
nodes
- Stage 3 —larger cancer that is also in the lymph nodes
- Stage 4 —cancer in a different organ from where it started
American Cancer Society: About Staging
Grading the Aggressiveness of Cancer
Cancer grading is the system that describes the aggressiveness of cancer
cells. When doctors look at cancer cells under the microscope,
they compare them with normal cells. The faster the cancer grows the more aggressive it is considered. If your doctor recommends chemotherapy to treat your cancer, then you'll want to learn more about treating
cancer with chemotherapy.
UNDERSTANDING CANCER
TREATING CANCER WITH CHEMOTHERAPY
CHEMOTHERAPY SIDE EFFECTS
TREATING CANCER IN OTHER WAYS
TRACKING YOUR TEST RESULTS
UNDERSTANDING INSURANCE AND TAX ISSUES: INSURANCE TIPS
WEB RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATIONS
TOOLS FOR ORGANIZING YOUR CANCER INFORMATION
FOR CAREGIVERS
GLOSSARY OF CANCER TERMS
REGISTER FOR PROGRAMS
FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
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