About this topic
When you have a cancer diagnosis, your doctor wants to be able to talk about how much cancer is in your body and where it is found. This determines what stage your cancer is. Your doctor will use what is known about your cancer stage to help plan care. It may also help your doctor give you some thoughts about your outlook or prognosis after you learn you have cancer. ‚
General
Your doctor will often do tests to see where your cancer started and if it has spread. You may need to have blood tests, x-rays, CT, MRI or PET scans, or biopsies. Your doctor will: ‚
- Look at the main tumor, its size, and where it is.
- Check for cancer in lymph nodes.
- See if you have cancer in other body parts. If so, your doctor may say it has metastasized.
What will the results be?
Your cancer may be grouped by the tumor, if there are lymph nodes involved, and if the cancer has spread or metastasized. Sometimes these are called T for tumor, N for node, and M for metastasize. There may also be numbers after the T, N, or M. Most often, the higher the number, the bigger the tumor or the more it has spread to lymph nodes and other tissues. ‚
After the T, N, and M values are found, they are combined to make an overall stage. The overall stage is given a Roman number from 0 to IV (4). Most often, lower numbers mean the cancer is less advanced and the outlook is better. Higher numbers mean the cancer is more advanced and the outlook is not as good. ‚
Some kinds of cancers are also given a grade as well as the stage. The grade is based on how the cells look under the microscope. Cells that are a low grade look more like normal cells. Cells that are a higher grade look less normal and are more likely to spread. ‚
Where can I learn more?
American Society of Clinical Oncology ‚
http://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/diagnosing-cancer/stages-cancer ‚
National Cancer Institute ‚
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging/staging-fact-sheet ‚
NHS Choices ‚
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/3169.aspx?CategoryID=96 ‚
Last Reviewed Date
2015-11-05 ‚
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Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care provider 's advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2016 Wolters Kluwer Clinical Drug Information, Inc. and its affiliates and/or licensors. All rights reserved. ‚