When a patient is first diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) or with pericardial or peritoneal mesothelioma, the first step a doctor will take is to try to determine the stage of the disease. Staging helps to determine if the tumors have spread beyond the pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial cavities.
First Origins of Cancer Staging
Before the 1940's, systems for classifying stages of cancer did not exist. The first interest in creating a staging system originated soon after with the desire to find a way to assess different levels of breast cancer. Having such a system would allow doctors to make targeted treatment plans, have a better idea of survival times, and speak a common language when referring to cancers.
Butchart, et al was the first to propose a formal system to be used with mesothelioma that divided it into four different stages. There have been numerous changes made to Butchart's model yet the four stage descriptive approach has stayed the same.
Another system that is sometimes used to define stages is the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system. This measures the tumor size, node involvement, and degree to which the cancer has spread to other places in the body.
Current Mesothelioma Stages
Mesothelioma is most often divided into four stages, like most other types of lung cancer. Generally speaking, stages are determined by the size of the tumor and the degree of metastasis, or degree to which the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Both systems mentioned above divide mesothelioma into four stages. Stage I refers to tumors that are relatively small and localized. Stage II means the tumor has grown, and although it has not spread into surrounding tissue, may have entered into the lymph nodes. Stage III means the cancer is even larger, has spread to nearby lymph nodes, and is starting to spread into surrounding tissues. Stage IV is when the tumors have begun to spread to other body organs, commonly referred to as metastasized.
Metastasis is measured by the degree to which the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Generally, the higher the number, the more severe the mesothelioma is.Knowing the stage of mesothelioma is important because it can help doctors make a prognosis and determine which treatments would be most effective. Most advanced stage cancers have much lower survival times and less treatment options than those in Stage I and II.
Determining the Stage of Mesothelioma
A variety of tests can be used to determine the stage of mesothelioma cancer: chest X-ray, CT scan, surgery, magnetic resonance image (MRI) or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Your oncologist specialist will recommend which is best depending on your individual circumstances.
Stages Helps Determine Treatment and Survival Times
Stage I mesothelioma has the best prognosis as the tumors are localized and are more apt to be able to be removed surgically. Once mesothelioma has spread to lymph nodes on the same side as the tumor, or to the lining of the chest or heart, it has progressed to Stage II. Therapeutic interventions and survival times are always better if mesothelioma is diagnosed at these earlier stages.
Stage III mesothelioma refers to when the tumors have spread beyond the lining to the chest wall and to lymph nodes outside the chest or on the other side of the chest. With each advancement in stage, survival times and ability to treat is much lower. In Stage IV mesothelioma, the cancer has spread to distant organs, tissues and/or lymph nodes. Prognosis is extremely poor and treatment focuses on palliative interventions intended to ease pain versus slowing disease progression.
Mesothelioma is an Incurable Cancer
Currently, there does not exist a cure for mesothelioma. However, many clinical studies are dedicated to finding ways of catching mesothelioma at earlier stages and before it has progressed too far. Research such as this may one day help to not only lengthen survival times and increase treatment times, but also find a cure.
First Origins of Cancer Staging
Before the 1940's, systems for classifying stages of cancer did not exist. The first interest in creating a staging system originated soon after with the desire to find a way to assess different levels of breast cancer. Having such a system would allow doctors to make targeted treatment plans, have a better idea of survival times, and speak a common language when referring to cancers.
Butchart, et al was the first to propose a formal system to be used with mesothelioma that divided it into four different stages. There have been numerous changes made to Butchart's model yet the four stage descriptive approach has stayed the same.
Another system that is sometimes used to define stages is the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system. This measures the tumor size, node involvement, and degree to which the cancer has spread to other places in the body.
Current Mesothelioma Stages
Mesothelioma is most often divided into four stages, like most other types of lung cancer. Generally speaking, stages are determined by the size of the tumor and the degree of metastasis, or degree to which the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Both systems mentioned above divide mesothelioma into four stages. Stage I refers to tumors that are relatively small and localized. Stage II means the tumor has grown, and although it has not spread into surrounding tissue, may have entered into the lymph nodes. Stage III means the cancer is even larger, has spread to nearby lymph nodes, and is starting to spread into surrounding tissues. Stage IV is when the tumors have begun to spread to other body organs, commonly referred to as metastasized.
Metastasis is measured by the degree to which the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Generally, the higher the number, the more severe the mesothelioma is.Knowing the stage of mesothelioma is important because it can help doctors make a prognosis and determine which treatments would be most effective. Most advanced stage cancers have much lower survival times and less treatment options than those in Stage I and II.
Determining the Stage of Mesothelioma
A variety of tests can be used to determine the stage of mesothelioma cancer: chest X-ray, CT scan, surgery, magnetic resonance image (MRI) or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Your oncologist specialist will recommend which is best depending on your individual circumstances.
Stages Helps Determine Treatment and Survival Times
Stage I mesothelioma has the best prognosis as the tumors are localized and are more apt to be able to be removed surgically. Once mesothelioma has spread to lymph nodes on the same side as the tumor, or to the lining of the chest or heart, it has progressed to Stage II. Therapeutic interventions and survival times are always better if mesothelioma is diagnosed at these earlier stages.
Stage III mesothelioma refers to when the tumors have spread beyond the lining to the chest wall and to lymph nodes outside the chest or on the other side of the chest. With each advancement in stage, survival times and ability to treat is much lower. In Stage IV mesothelioma, the cancer has spread to distant organs, tissues and/or lymph nodes. Prognosis is extremely poor and treatment focuses on palliative interventions intended to ease pain versus slowing disease progression.
Mesothelioma is an Incurable Cancer
Currently, there does not exist a cure for mesothelioma. However, many clinical studies are dedicated to finding ways of catching mesothelioma at earlier stages and before it has progressed too far. Research such as this may one day help to not only lengthen survival times and increase treatment times, but also find a cure.
About the Author:
Sally Clapper is a publicist for Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason, asbestos lawyers that have been representing people with mesothelioma for over 25 years. As experts in the field of mesothelioma, the firm's attorneys are recognized as some of the leading plaintiffs' mesothelioma attorneys in the nation.
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