Stages Of Writing Development In Early Childhood

What Are the Stages of Cancer?

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A cancer diagnosis can leave you unable to comprehend anything else your doctor says, but it's important to pay attention to what stage of cancer you have. Not only does the stage tell you how serious the disease is, but it can help you and your medical team make decisions about treatment and the potential outcome of your battle. It can also help researchers identify what treatment methods work, so they can try them on other people with cancer. Take a look at what each stage means:

Stage 0

Contrary to popular belief, the stages of cancer actually start at zero instead of one. If you receive a stage 0 diagnosis, your chances of beating it with the right treatment and receiving a good prognosis are pretty high. Basically, it means that cancer cells were found in your body, but they haven't spread to your bloodstream, other organs, tissue or lymph nodes. These cancer cells are still situated in the location where they originated. For this reason, you may hear stage 0 cancer referred to as carcinoma in situ or as non-invasive cancer. Treatments for this stage vary on case-by-case basis, but they're usually different from those a patient would undergo for the other stages.

Stage I

Stage I, sometimes called early-stage cancer, still has a pretty good prognosis much of the time. If you receive a diagnosis with this stage, it means the cancer in your body is small. It's only in one part of your body, and it hasn't spread to other areas. That means the odds of successful treatment are in your favor. While this type of cancer is easier to treat, you'll still likely go through traditional treatment methods, which may include a combination of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. One thing to keep in mind is that your cancer stages do not change, even if the disease advances or returns.

Stages II and III

Stages II and III are usually talked about together when defining the different stages of cancer, because they both have similar meanings. If you have either stage II or stage III cancer, it means the cancer in your body is larger, and it has spread beyond the initial location where it started. Sometimes called localized cancer, stage II and III cells may have spread to a few nearby lymph nodes and even muscle tissue. Like stage I, treatment typically involves traditional methods, like chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, though it's probably a bit more aggressive. Stage II and III cancers are still beatable and can still have a good prognosis.

Stage IV

Stage IV cancer is the most advanced of the stages. You may also hear it referred to as metastatic cancer. Essentially, the cancer cells have spread beyond their starting point and beyond that general region of the body. They may be found in lymph nodes all over the body and other organs. For example, perhaps you started out with lung cancer, but you now have cancer cells in your liver and kidneys. Stage IV cancer is far more difficult to treat, though it's not impossible to do so. The type of cancer you have can play a major role in your chances of survival. It's also important to keep in mind that each body is different, and the sooner your medical team begins treatment, the better your prognosis is most of the time.

How a Doctor Determines Your Stage

Again, determining what stage of cancer you have is key when it comes to choosing a treatment plan, and your doctor will perform numerous tests to verify that information. This usually involves a physical exam, blood tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans and other lab tests. Your doctor may also perform a biopsy, which involves removing a small piece of tissue from your body and examining it more closely. If you have surgery to remove cancerous tumors or tissue, your doctor will also examine the cancer to gain even more information about it. Aside from your cancer stage, the location of the tumor, markers in your blood and urine, the DNA makeup of your cancer cells and the grade — or how normal or abnormal your cancer cells look — can also play a role in your treatment types and potential outcome.