Mesothelioma Stages
Mesothelioma Stages
Before a course of treatment can be recommended for a patient newly diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer, doctors will determine the stage of the cancer. In other words, they will try to determine the exact origin of the cancer, the size of the cancer, and whether or not the cancer has spread to surrounding or distant tissues in the body.
The following tests can be used to determine the stage, or extent, of mesothelioma cancer:
- Chest X-ray
- CAT/CT scan
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- Endoscopic Ultrasound (with or without a biopsy)
From these tests, doctors can determine whether the mesothelioma is stage I, also called localized malignant mesothelioma because it only affects the local tissues, or in advanced malignant mesothelioma, stages II through IV, at which point the cancer has spread beyond the local region. The stages of mesothelioma are described further below.
Localized Malignant Mesothelioma
Stage I:
At this stage, the cancer is only found in the place of origin, such as the lining of the chest, the abdomen, the lungs, the heart, or the diaphragm. The cancer has not spread beyond this point to any other tissues. This stage of mesothelioma is typically the easiest to treat. However, a patient may not have any symptoms of mesothelioma at this stage.
Advanced Malignant Mesothelioma
Stage II:
In this stage of mesothelioma, the cancer has spread, also known as metastasize, to other surrounding tissues. For instance, in a patient with pleural mesothelioma of the lungs, the cancer may be found in both the lining of the chest wall and the lymph nodes on the same side as the cancer. At this stage the cancer may have also or instead spread to the nearby mesothelial lining of the heart, lung, or diaphragm.
Stage III:
In stage III mesothelioma, the cancer has spread a bit further than with stage II. At this stage, the cancer may have also spread to any of the following areas:
- The chest wall
- The mediastinum
- The heart
- Beyond the diaphragm
- The peritoneum (if the cancer began in the lungs; or, conversely, into the pleural lining if the cancer originated in the peritoneum)
- The lymph nodes in the opposite side of the chest or abdominal cavity
Stage IV
With stage IV mesothelioma, the cancer has spread to nearby, as well as distant, tissues or organs. For example, peritoneal mesothelioma may have spread to the spine or chest. Pleural mesothelioma may have spread to the brain or abdomen, for instance.
In addition to these four stages, it is also possible for mesothelioma to come back after it has been treated, and may return in the abdomen, chest, heart area, or another part of the body. This is known as recurrent mesothelioma.
How Mesothelioma Spreads in the Body
Like other cancers, there are three ways that mesothelioma can spread from its point of origin to other areas of the body. These three ways include:
- Mesothelioma spreads through the lymph system and can travel through lymph vessels to other areas of the body
- Mesothelioma spreads through the tissues, invading surrounding normal tissues
- Mesothelioma spreads through the blood, invading the capillaries and veins to reach other areas of the body via the bloodstream
Mesothelioma is mesothelioma no matter where it appears. This can be confusing when doctors discuss the metastasis of a primary cancer to other areas of the body. For instance, when a doctor says that pleural mesothelioma has spread to the bones, the patient may wonder if they also have bone cancer. On the cellular level, what is actually happening is that the cancerous pleural cells have traveled to the bones. In other words, you don’t have cancerous bone cells; you have cancerous pleural cells in the bones. Thus, the patient is considered to have metastatic pleural mesothelioma that has spread to the bones, but not bone cancer.
Once a doctor has made an accurate diagnosis of mesothelioma stage, they can speak with the patient and their family regarding the best approach to treatment. Please see our page on mesothelioma treatment to learn about the possible options your doctor may discuss with you.
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