What Is Cancer Staging?
Cancer staging is the process of figuring out the status of cancer so doctors can determine the proper treatment for that cancer. Most cancers are staged based on the following:
- The size of the tumor
- Whether the cancer has spread
- If the cancer has spread, how far it has spread
Doctors use a variety of systems to determine cancer staging, but one of the most common is the TNM staging system. Doctors also assign an overall stage to the cancer - stage 1 being the least advanced and stage IV being the most advanced. Learn more about the TNM Staging System And Overall Staging.
Cancer can spread, or metastasize
, to other parts of the body. This happens when cancer cells travel from their original location (for example, from the breast), into the bloodstream or lymphatic system
, and then to other areas of the body (for example, into the bones).
Sometimes spreading patterns are easily understood. For instance, cancer cells that spread from the stomach or intestines often travel to the liver because blood from the stomach and intestines flow to the liver. However, other times spreading patterns are not easily understood.
Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatment varies, depending on what type of cancer you have and how serious the cancer is. Learn about specific treatment options for the following types of cancer:
