What is Cancer Staging?
Cancer develops in "stages". Depending on the stage, cancer cells will spread, a tumor may grow larger, or stress on certain organs or body functions may increase. "Staging" is the process of knowing just how far things have gone. It reveals the location of the tumor/cancer cells, the size, whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Cancer Staging helps your doctor to:
According to the National Cancer Institute in the USA, "A cancer is always referred to by the stage it was given at diagnosis, even if it gets worse or spreads. New information about how a cancer has changed over time is added to the original stage. So the stage doesn't change, even though the cancer might."
Cancer Staging helps your doctor to:
- Formulate a treatment plan
- Identify helpful clinical trials
- Estimate chances of survival
According to the National Cancer Institute in the USA, "A cancer is always referred to by the stage it was given at diagnosis, even if it gets worse or spreads. New information about how a cancer has changed over time is added to the original stage. So the stage doesn't change, even though the cancer might."
How do I know what stage the cancer is in?
Cancer staging can be determined through a variety of blood chemistry tests, scans or imaging tests, and biopsy procedures. These include:
Cancer staging can be determined through a variety of blood chemistry tests, scans or imaging tests, and biopsy procedures. These include:
- Complete blood count
- Cytogenetic analysis
- Immunophenotyping
- Liquid biopsy
- Sputum biopsy
- Tumor marker tests
- Urinalysis
- Urine Cytology
- CT Scan
- MRI
- Nuclear Scan
- Bone Scan
- PET Scan
- Ultrasound
- X-Ray
What is the TNM Staging System?
This is the most widely used cancer staging system, in which:
Below is a detailed description of the numbering under the TNM System.
T = Primary Tumour
N = Regional Lymph Nodes
M = Distant Metastasis
This is the most widely used cancer staging system, in which:
- T = size and extent of the main tumour
- N = number of affect lymph nodes
- M = metastasization (whether the cancer has spread from the main tumour to other parts of the body)
Below is a detailed description of the numbering under the TNM System.
T = Primary Tumour
- TX: Main tumour cannot be measured.
- T0: Main tumour cannot be found.
- T1, T2, T3, T4: Refers to the size and/or extent of the main tumour. This may be further divided to provide more detail, such as T3a and T3b.
N = Regional Lymph Nodes
- NX: Cancer in nearby lymph nodes cannot be measured.
- N0: There is no cancer in nearby lymph nodes.
- N1, N2, N3: Refers to the number and location of lymph nodes that contain cancer. The higher the number after the N, the more lymph nodes that contain cancer.
M = Distant Metastasis
- MX: Metastasis cannot be measured.
- M0: Cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.
- M1: Cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Staging Based on Cell Spread
While the TNM Staging system provides more detail, many of us might be more familiar with phrases like "Stage 4 Cancer" or "last stage". Under this slightly less descriptive system, cancer can be labelled as:
While the TNM Staging system provides more detail, many of us might be more familiar with phrases like "Stage 4 Cancer" or "last stage". Under this slightly less descriptive system, cancer can be labelled as:
- Stage 0: Abnormal cells are present but have not spread. At this stage, while it is not cancer, it can develop into cancer. This is called "carcinoma in situ".
- Stage 1, 2, and 3: The cancer is present. The higher the number, the larger the cancer tumour and the more it has spread into nearby tissues.
- Stage 4: The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.
Staging Based on Location
Another similar system of staging describes the location of the cancer
Another similar system of staging describes the location of the cancer
- In situ: Abnormal cells are present but have not spread to nearby tissue.
- Localised: Cancer is limited to the place where it started, with no sign that it has spread.
- Regional: Cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, tissues, or organs.
- Distant: Cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.
- Unknown: There is not enough information to figure out the stage.
Cancer staging plays a crucial role in guiding treatment decisions, predicting outcomes, monitoring response to therapy, facilitating research, and ensuring effective communication among healthcare providers, all of which are essential for optimising the care of children with cancer.
Cancer staging plays a crucial role in guiding treatment decisions, predicting outcomes, monitoring response to therapy, facilitating research, and ensuring effective communication among healthcare providers, all of which are essential for optimising the care of children with cancer.
Source: National Cancer Institute