Cancer staging is not always easy to understand. If you or a loved one recently received a cancer diagnosis, it can be overwhelming. Staging is a way for doctors to know how big a tumor is, where it is located, and how far it cancer has spread. Here is a breakdown on what the different stages mean:

The TNM system is the most common method of staging solid tumors. “T” stands for Tumor and refers to the main tumor’s size (from 1 to 4). “N” refers to Nodes and stands for whether or not any lymph nodes are involves. It can be anywhere from “N0” (meaning no lymph nodes are involved) to “N3” (meaning that many lymph nodes are involved). “M” stands for Metastasis and can be either “M0” (meaning no metastasis) or “M1” (meaning widespread metastasis). Metastasis is when a tumor has traveled to areas of the body other than where it originated.

This system can be simplified into the following stages:

Stage 0/In Situ: This means that the cells are abnormal but they haven’t gone anywhere.

Stage I: This is a tumor that is small. It’s local. It hasn’t gone anywhere.

Stage II and Stage III: These are larger tumors that may have gone deeper into tissues and may have spread into lymph nodes.

Stage IV: The cancer has traveled. It has gone to distant parts of the body.

Knowing how much cancer is there and how far it has gone guides the oncology team and enables them to come up with the best treatment plan possible.

It can be confusing, but the oncology team is there to help you understand. If you or a loved one has had a recent diagnosis, it can be hard to remember all the information that is given.

Write down questions as you think of them for upcoming visits. Reach out to your nurse navigator or triage nurse. They are all there to help!

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