Archive for the ‘Mesothelioma Stages’ Category:
Mesothelioma Stages
The stages of malignant mesothelioma are:
• Stage I – The tumor is found in the pleura with or without some involvement of the lung, pericardium (lining of the heart) or diaphragm.
• Stage II – The tumor is found in a stage I location, plus there is involvement of some lymph nodes in the chest.
• Stage III – The tumor has extended into the chest wall, ribs or heart, through the diaphragm or into the peritoneum (the abdominal lining). There also may be involvement of the lymph nodes.
• Stage IV – The tumor has spread through the bloodstream to distant sites (that is, it has metastasized).
• Recurrent mesothelioma – The tumor has recurred after treatment.
Stage I also is called localized disease, whereas stages II to IV are called advanced disease. Stage I disease generally has the best prognosis, particularly when the tumor is of the epithelial type.
If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, your doctor will need to know the stage of your disease. Staging can be clinical or pathological. Clinical staging relies on scanning tests and x-rays. Pathological staging refers to staging done at surgery.
Malignant mesothelioma moves through four stages, each one more serious than the next. The cancer is described as localized if it is found only on the lining surface where it originated. If the cancer has spread beyond the original site to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, chest wall, or abdominal organs, it is considered as advanced.
The stage of the cancer will determine treatment options and helps determine the prognosis of the disease. Pleural mesothelioma is the only mesothelioma that has a staging system. But the clinical staging systems are considered inadequate due to the way the disease spreads.
Other Mesothelioma Staging Systems
TNM System — variables of T (tumor), N (lymph nodes), M (metastasis)
Stage I: Mesothelioma involves right or left pleura and may also have spread to the lung, pericardium, or diaphragm on the same side. Lymph nodes are not involved.
Stage II: Mesothelioma has spread from the pleura on one side to nearby lymph nodes next to the lung on the same side. It may also have spread into the lung, pericardium, or diaphragm on the same side.
Stage III: Mesothelioma is now in the chest wall, muscle, ribs, heart, esophagus, or other organs in the chest on the same side with or without spread to lymph nodes on the same side as the primary tumor.
Stage IV: Mesothelioma has spread into the lymph nodes in the chest on the side opposite the primary tumor, or extends to the pleura or lung on the opposite side, or directly extends into organs in the abdominal cavity or neck. Any distant metastases is included in this stage.
Brigham System: (variables of tumor resectability and nodal status)
Stage I: Resectable mesothelioma and no lymph node involvement
Stage II: Resectable mesothelioma but with lymph node involvement
Stage III: Unresectable mesothelioma extending into chest wall, heart, or through diaphragm, peritoneum; with or without extrathoracic lymph node involvement
Stage IV: Distant metastatic disease
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma cancer comes from inhaling or digesting asbestos dust particles. Mesothelioma cancer affects the abdominal cavity, chest cavity, and the region surrounding the heart.
Mesothelioma is a life-threatening disease and should not be left untreated. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.
Mesothelioma cancer occurs in the mesothelium, a thin layer of tissue that covers your internal organs. The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. There are two layers of cells in the mesothelium; one layer surrounds the organs; the other layer forms a sac around the organs.
Mesothelioma is most common in the pleura (the outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibers in other ways, such as by washing clothes of a family member who worked around asbestos.
Source: mesothelioma-absestos.blogspot.com