Staging is the term used to describe the extent of a patient's cancer, based on the primary tumor and its spread in the body. It can help the medical team plan treatment, estimate prognosis and identify clinical trials for which the patient may be eligible.
Mesiothelioma treatment is based on the stage, if is in first stage means localized to particular organ then it can be treatable, in second stage treatment becomes difficult, but third stage malignant cell crosses the organ which is known as metastasis and treatment becomes untreatable.
Staging is based on knowledge of how the cancer grows, from the primary tumor, to the invasion of nearby organs and tissues, to distant spread or metastasis. Staging systems have evolved over time, and they continue to change as scientists learn more about cancer. Some staging systems cover many different types of cancer, while others focus on more specific cancers. The TNM is the most common staging system for mesothelioma.
Some elements common to most staging systems are:
T Stages:
T1: Mesiothelioma tissue only spread to the lining of the lungs i.e. pleura, which may be left or right side of the lungs.
T2: Mesothelioma involves either the right or left pleura lining the chest and has spread from the lining of the chest into the outer lining of the lung, diaphragm, or into the lung itself.
T3: Mesothelioma has spread into the first layer of the chest wall, the fatty part of the mediastinum, single place in the chest wall, or the outer covering layer of the heart.
T4: Mesothelioma involves into the chest wall, either muscle or ribs, through the diaphragm, spine, into the heart itself, or into the brachial plexus.
N Stages:
N0: No spread to lymph node.
N1: Spread to lymph nodes on the same side of the chest as the mesothelioma.
N2: Spread to lymph nodes around bronchi or to lymph nodes in the space behind the chest bone and in front of the heart (mediastinum).
N3: Spread to lymph nodes near the collarbone on either side, to mediastinal lymph nodes on the side opposite the cancerous lung.
M Stages:
M0: No spread to distant organs or areas.
M1: The cancer has spread distantly.