Cancer stages & Diagnosis

Cancers can be classified according to stage. Staging describes how far a cancer has progressed based on the size of the primary tumor and whether and/or where it has spread.

· Stage 1 usually means a cancer is relatively small and contained within the organ it started in

· Stage 2 usually means the cancer is localised, but the tumour is larger than in stage 1. Sometimes stage 2 means there are nearby lymph nodes that have cancer cells in.

· Stage 3 usually means the cancer is larger and there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes in the area .

· Stage 4 means the cancer has spread from where it started to another body organ, such as the liver, bones or lungs.

Cancer Diagnosis:

The diagnosis of cancer entails an attempt to accurately identify the anatomical site of origin of the malignancy and the type of cells involved. The site refers to the location of the cancer within the body. The body part in which cancer first develops is known as the primary site. A cancer's primary site may determine how the tumor will behave; whether and where it may spread (metastasize) and what symptoms it is most likely to cause.

Secondary site refers to the body part where metastasized cancer cells grow and form secondary tumors. A cancer is always described in terms of the primary site, even if it has spread to another part of the body. Cancer can arise in any organ or tissue in the body except fingernails, hair, and teeth.

A definitive diagnosis usually requires the histologic examination of tissue by a pathologist. This tissue is obtained by biopsy or surgery. Once diagnosed, cancer is usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.