There are several signs that you may have cancer in stage I. While the tumor is small and contained in one area, it has grown and spread to other tissues and lymph nodes. Stage II cancer has spread beyond the area of the primary tumor and is considered advanced or metastatic. Doctors use several imaging tests to determine the stage. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create detailed images of the inside of the body. Computerized tomography uses high-frequency sound waves and X-rays to get an accurate picture of the inside of the body.
In addition to MRIs, doctors also use a system known as restaging to determine whether the cancer has spread beyond the area of origin. This process allows doctors to plan further treatment for the cancer, should it come back or if it continues to progress. Restaging does not change the cancer’s stage, but can change after further tests and treatments. In some cases, a tumour described as T2 may be reclassified as T3 or T4 after it has spread and invaded surrounding tissue.
If the cancer spreads beyond the area of origin, it is called adenocarcinoma. At this stage, the tumor is less than three centimeters in size and has not yet spread into deeper lung tissues. However, it has reached lymph nodes and has metastasized to distant parts of the body. In this stage, surgery is often the only treatment available. If there is a risk factor involved, your doctor can prescribe chemotherapy or radiation therapy if needed.
In addition to chemotherapy and radiation, you should consider the type of cancer you have. A TNM staging system is the standard used by doctors. The letters of TNM stand for T1, N0, and M0. For example, T1, N0, M0 means that the tumor is not located in lymph nodes, but it is present in the digestive tract. The cancer has not spread to lymph nodes. The diagnosis is therefore based on these three factors.
TNM staging is the most commonly used system for determining the stage of a patient’s cancer. It is used to determine the size and extent of the cancer in the body. The letter T stands for the primary tumor, while N represents the lymph nodes nearby. In stage 1B, cancer cells have spread outside the breast. Cancer in stage 1B may have spread to lymph nodes. If cancer is detected early, there are chances that your tumor will not grow.
The first step in the diagnosis is a physical exam and imaging tests. The goal is to detect a cancer early, before it has spread to other parts of the body. Using a physical exam, imaging studies, and patient symptoms, doctors can pinpoint the exact stage of the cancer. In this case, a patient with cancer in stage I should have symptoms that suggest it has spread to lymph nodes. So, if you’re unsure of the stage of your cancer, don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion.
