Staging & Recommendations

About Cancer Staging

Once your doctor has a diagnosis, further work is required to establish the extent or stage of the cancer. Cancers are often referred to by the stage it is given at diagnosis.

Understanding the stage of the cancer is important in determining a prognosis and the best treatment options available. Sometimes obtaining complete information about the stage of a cancer may not be possible until after cancer surgery.

How is Staging Determined

After various diagnostic tests the Stage is defined and describes the extent of your cancer and how far it has spread. The stage is also referred to as TNM. 

• T - describes the size of the main tumour and any spread of cancer into nearby tissue; 
• N - describes spread of cancer to nearby lymph nodes
• M - describes metastasis (spread of cancer to other parts of the body). 

When describing the cancer numbers are used to add detail these mean the following:

• T1, T2: Refers to the size and/or extent of the main tumour. The higher the number after the T, the larger the tumour or the more it has grown into nearby tissues. 
• N1, N2: 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.
• M1: Cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Other Staging Information

Other information derived includes:

• Where the tumour is located in the body
• The tumour type
• Tumour Grade, this refers to how abnormal the cancer cells look under the microscope. This gives a guide as to how likely the tumour is to grow and spread

Why is Staging Important?

Knowing the stage of your cancer helps your doctor:

• Understand how serious your cancer is and your chances of survival
• Plan the best treatment for you
• Identify clinical trials that may be treatment options for you

Sarcoma Stage Descriptions

• Stage 1 – Any size low grade tumour
• Stage 2 – High grade small (T1) tumours and intermediate grade large (T2) tumours
• Stage 3 – High grade large tumours (T2) or the presence of lymph node involvement.
• Stage 4 – Metastatic disease

Staging and Prognosis

A prognosis is often expressed as a survival rate. This percentage is based on patients 5 year survival who have had the same type and stage of cancer . Survival rates are average and may not match your circumstance, but they can give doctors and patients a general idea of how likely it is that treatment will be successful.