Cancer isn’t a disease that can be accurately diagnosed with a single examination. Besides assessing the medical history and running multiple tests (such as physical exams, lab tests, and biopsies), staging and grading are necessary to diagnose cancer properly.
These medical classifications help doctors determine how advanced and aggressive the cancer is, directly affecting treatment plans and outcomes. Understanding both can bring clarity during stressful times and help patients make critical treatment decisions.
Cancer Stages
Staging identifies the number of cancer cells and how much they have spread in the body. Doctors generally stage cancer using the TNM system, which assesses the primary tumor’s size and growth (T), the presence of lymph nodes near it (N), and whether the cancer has dispersed to distant body parts (M).
These categories are assigned letters and numbers to indicate the cancer’s severity. However, they don’t always denote the same thing. For example, T can also refer to whether it has grown deeper into the initial site/organ for some cancer types.
The TNM system helps create a clearer picture of the condition’s severity. Using it, doctors can classify cancer following this scale:
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- Stage 0: Also called in-situ, this stage denotes that abnormal cells have not spread elsewhere and are not considered cancerous.
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- Stage 1: This stage implies that a localized tumor is present but hasn’t spread elsewhere yet.
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- Stage 2: This stage indicates that the tumor grew and may have spread to lymph nodes close to the primary site.
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- Stage 3: This stage signifies that the cancer has grown larger, lodged deeper into the surrounding tissues, and/or spread to lymph nodes nearby.
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- Stage 4: This stage signals that cancer has metastasized and moved to distant organs and body parts.
Staging helps doctors develop effective treatment strategies. For instance, surgery or radiotherapy typically suffice for treating early-stage cancers, while chemotherapy or immunotherapy may be necessary for advanced types.
Cancer Grades
Grading reveals how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope and how quickly they’ll likely grow or spread. It helps doctors properly stage cancer, predict its progression, and identify the most appropriate therapies, especially for aggressive cancers. Cancer is graded based on how closely cancer cells resemble healthy ones:
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- Grade 1: The cancer cells look normal and are considered low-grade.
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- Grade 2: The cancer cells are relatively abnormal and called intermediate-grade.
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- Grade 3: Now considered high-grade, the cancer cells are abnormal and have no structure or pattern.
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- Grade 4: The cancer cells are severely abnormal and high-grade, meaning they can grow and spread quickly.
Take Charge of Your Cancer Care With Cochise Oncology
Cancer staging and grading are essential to diagnosis, and understanding how they work can help you make informed decisions for your recovery. If the details of your condition are still unclear, don’t hesitate to ask your oncologist. The more you know about it, the more confident and prepared you’ll be for the journey ahead.
