If you’re diagnosed with cancer, you’re probably focused on the type of cancer you have, whether it’s breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer or another type.
But there’s another key factor you should know. When it comes to treatment decisions, your cancer stage can be even more important as the type of cancer you have.
Cancer stage is a way to describe how much cancer there is in your body and where it has spread. Understanding cancer staging can help you know what treatment options might work for you and why.
What is cancer staging?
Cancer staging is a number from 0 to 4 that describes:
- How big the tumor is
- Whether it has spread to the lymph nodes
- Whether it has spread to other parts of the body
The numbers generally break down like this:
- Stage 0: The cancer is small and hasn’t spread
- Stage 1 to 3: The cancer is bigger or has spread to nearby areas
- Stage 4: The cancer has spread to other parts of the body that are further away
Why cancer stage often matters as much as cancer type
“Staging matters to truly understand how widespread the cancer is,” said Daniel P. Dolan, MD, MPH, a thoracic surgeon with Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Staging helps your care team:
- Know which treatments may be options
- Determine how urgently and intensely you need treatment
- Understand what outcomes to expect
For example, early-stage cancer may be treated with surgery alone, while later-stage cancer may need a combination of therapies.
Does cancer staging work the same for every cancer?
Many cancers use stages 0 to 4 to identify the stage. But some cancers include additional factors:
- Prostate cancer: Uses the cancer stage plus prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and your Gleason score, which is a measure of the aggressiveness of the cancer.
- Breast cancer: Includes hormone receptor status and HER2 status.
- Blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia: May use different staging systems or focus on blood cells, lymph node involvement and genetics rather than staging.
- Lung cancer: Specific mutations of the tumor can change the medications given in more advanced stages.
Your care team uses the system that best fits your cancer and makes treatment decisions based on your cancer stage plus other factors.
How cancer staging is determined
“Every tumor has its own workup and methods to determine correct stage,” Dr. Dolan said. Your care team will use various tests to get the information they need to stage your cancer. Those may include:
- Imaging, such as CT, MRI or PET scans
- Biopsy results
- Lab tests
It can take some time for cancer staging to be completed, because you may need multiple tests. With the test results, your care team comes up with a tumor, nodes and metastasis (TNM) classification that indicates its stage. It’s important to have accurate staging before you start treatment.
How the stage of cancer affects treatment options
A more advanced stage means a more advanced cancer that needs different treatment:
- Early-stage cancers: May be able to be removed surgically or treated with radiation.
- Advanced-stage cancers: May need systemic treatments (treatments that affect the whole body) like chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy. Some advanced tumors can be surgically removed after systemic treatment.
Staging isn’t the only factor that matters in your treatment plan. Your care team will also consider your:
- Cancer type
- Tumor biology, including genetics and biomarkers
- Overall health and age
- Personal preferences
- Response to treatment
Your cancer stage could change over time, based on how well treatment works and how aggressive the cancer is.
What cancer stage means for your prognosis
While every situation is unique and outcomes can vary based on a lot of different factors, generally:
- Earlier stages are often easier to treat
- Later stages may need more complex care
Questions to ask your doctor about staging
A cancer diagnosis can mean you have to take in a lot of information. You may feel unsure or not even know what questions to ask.
Answers to these questions can help you understand your options:
- What stage is my cancer?
- Has the cancer spread?
- What treatments are options for me?
- What are some of the risks, benefits and alternatives of those treatments?
- What does my cancer stage mean in terms of my survival?
- Will my staging change over time?
The bottom line on cancer staging
Accurate cancer staging is one of the most important parts of a cancer diagnosis, since it helps guide treatment decisions and expectations. By understanding your stage, you can feel more informed and prepared.
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and you have questions about your staging or treatment options, reach out to an expert at Banner Health. We can help you understand more about your cancer stage and what it means for your treatment options and outcome.
FAQs
What does cancer stage mean?
It describes how much cancer is in the body and how far it has spread.
Is cancer stage more important than type?
Both matter but stage helps guide treatment decisions.
Do all cancers use the same staging system?
No. Some cancers use additional factors or different systems.
How is cancer staging determined?
Through imaging tests, biopsies and lab results.
What is stage 4 cancer?
It means cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.
Can cancer stages change over time?
Yes, depending on how the cancer responds to treatment or progresses.
