When cancer is diagnosed the doctor will go through steps to figure out the stage of the cancer. Cancer stages are used to help doctors form a treatment plan and to help patients understand the extent of their cancer and the prognosis. Staging cancer may seem confusing, but it is actually not that difficult to understand.
Identifying Staging
Cancer stages are determined through a process called staging. Staging determines the severity of the cancer. It is based on the extent of the cancer and how much it has spread in the body. Doctors will perform additional tests to check the body for cancer and to get a good idea of where the cancer is, where it began and if it is spreading.
Importance of Staging
Staging helps in many ways. It is an important part of the process in determining how to treat the cancer. It is also useful for future research and understanding how that particular cancer reacts in the body. Here are the main reasons why staging is important:
• Helps find out the treatment plan
• Helps in finding out a lung cancer prognosis
• Useful in research studies
Elements of Staging
Staging is completed by examining various factors. To keep up a level of consistency for the staging, there are some factors that are included in determining the stages of cancer. These factors are:
• Location of the beginning of the cancer
• Number and size of tumors
• Cell type and grade of tumor
• Metastasis extent
The Systems of Staging
Lung cancer stages are referred to based upon a staging system. The most commonly used staging system is the TNM system. TNM stands for:
T stands for Tumor
N stands for Lymph Nodes
M - Metastasis
Every letter receives a number added to it to signify the level of the cancer regarding the tumor, lymph nodes and metastasis. The range numbers is from 0 to 4, with 0 being representative of none and 4 being the highest stage of cancer.
Cancer stages are generally based on the five stages of a simple chart. Here’s how it looks:
Stage 0: Only early or pre-cancerous cells are present
Stage 1, 2 and 3: Cancer is present and may have spread in the localized area
Step 4: The cancer has spread somewhere else in the body
Knowing the cancer stage is sometimes difficult, however it’s essential. Someone who receives a cancer diagnosis in stage 1 can know that the cancer is easier to cure and as a result the prognosis is probably good.
Tags: cancer overview, cancer prognosis, lung cancer, survival rates, symptoms