Mesothelioma Stages

After a person is diagnosed with mesothelioma the next step is to do some tests to make sure whether the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body or not. It is very important determining the stage of the mesothelioma a patient is in. This helps in planning the treatment of a patient. At present, there are three staging systems in use for pleural mesothelioma. The latest systems are Brigham system and the TNM system.

• Butchart Staging System
• The TNM System
• The Brigham Staging System

Butchart Staging System
Butchart system is the most often used staging system for mesothelioma. Mainly, this system is based on the extent of the primary tumor mass. This has the following stages.

Stage I :
Mesothelioma is existent within the right or left pleura. It may also involve the diaphragm on the same side or pericardium, lung.

Stage II :
Mesothelioma involves the pleura on both sides or oesophagus, heart or attacks the chest wall.

Stage III :
Mesothelioma has pervaded through the diaphragm into the peritoneum. Lymph nodes beyond those in the chest may also be involved.

Stage IV :
There is evidence of distant metastases.

The TNM system
This is also called the International Mesothelioma Interest Group staging system. The TNM system express the extent of the primary tumor (T), the presence or absence of cancer in nearby lymph nodes (N), and the presence or absence of distant metastases (M). Once the TNM groups have been decided, this fact is grouped together to give the stage. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 is the most advanced stage.

Stage I :
Mesothelioma attacks one layer of the pleura only. It may have already grown into pericardium and the diaphragm.

Stage II :
Mesothelioma has spread to both layers of the pleura on one side of the body only

Stage III :
Mesothelioma has spread to the food pipe or lymph nodes on the same side of the chest and the chest wall.

Stage IV :
Mesothelioma has spread through the bloodstream to other organs in the body. This includes the brain, liver or bone or to lymph nodes on the other side of the chest.

The Brigham Staging System

Stage I :
In this stage the doctors can remove the mesothelioma with surgery. Also there are no lymph nodes containing cancer cells.

Stage II:
Mesothelioma can be removed with surgery same as stage I. But unlike stage I, there are lymph nodes containing cancer cells.

Stage III :
The doctors cant remove mesothelioma with surgery as it has spread into the heart, chest wall, or through the diaphragm into the peritoneum. Sometimes the lymph nodes contains cancer cells.

Stage IV :
Mesothelioma has spread through the bloodstream to other organs in the body such as the liver, brain or bone.