स्टेज ऑफ़ mesothelioma

MESOTHELIOMA STAGES
Treatment options are often determined by the stage of mesothelioma a patient is in. There are three staging systems currently in use for pleural mesothelioma and each one measures somewhat different variables; peritoneal mesothelioma is not staged.
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.
Staging is based on a knowledge of how the cancer develops, 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 (primary tumor, regional lymph nodes, distant metastasis) is the most common staging system for mesothelioma.
Some elements common to most staging systems are:
Location of the primary tumor.
Size and number of the tumors.
Lymph node involvement.
Cell type and tumor grade.
Metastasis.
Many cancer registries, such as the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) use summary staging, a system used for all types of cancer. Summary staging groups cancer into five main categories:
In situ - cancer that is present only in the layer of cells in which it began.
Localized - cancer that is limited to the organ in which it began with no evidence of spread.
Regional - cancer that has spread from the primary site to nearby lymph nodes or organs.
Distant - cancer that has spread from the primary site to distant lymph nodes or organs.
Unknown - cases where not enough information exists to indicate stage.