What are the main factors that increase cancer stage 2 risk? The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and European Society for Medical Oncology have defined high-risk stage II. The Japanese Foundation for Multidisciplinary Treatment of Cancer, in contrast, has its own definition of high-risk stage II. A high-risk stage II patient was categorized as having at least one of the following factors:
Stage is an important factor in determining treatment options. The higher the cancer stage, the more likely the patient is to respond poorly to treatments. In determining what treatments will be most effective, the cancer must be properly diagnosed. During the diagnosis process, a pathologist will use a microscope to examine the tumor. The pathologist will compare the cancer cells with healthy tissue, which often has a variety of different cell types. If there are no healthy cells present, the cancer cell’s stage will be determined using these factors.
If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues, it may be difficult to distinguish from non-neoplastic conditions. Depending on the type of cancer, tumors may have invaded adjacent organs and serosa. Invasion of these areas can pose a staging challenge. Fortunately, there are some treatments that can prevent cancer from reaching the adjacent organs. Invasiveness of the serosa may also affect cancer stage 2 risk.
Treatment options for cancer stage two depend on the type and extent of disease, as well as the overall health of the patient. In older patients who don’t have any symptoms, surgery is usually enough to control the cancer. Radiation alone or radiation combined with hormone therapy may be enough. However, a patient should consult a doctor in case they have a higher risk. A diagnosis of cancer stage 2 is not a good idea unless the patient has symptoms.
The TNM staging system is used to classify cancers. Stage 2 is 2A or 2B. Each stage is categorized by TNM – T stands for tumor size. The T score varies from zero to three. T0 means there is no cancer at all, while T1 means that the tumor is less than 2 centimeters in diameter. T2 includes tumors between 2 and 5 centimeters in diameter. And T3 means that the tumor is more than 5 centimeters in diameter.
While adjuvant chemotherapy improved the prognosis of patients with stage III colon cancer, it had limited effect on stage II patients. Even after chemotherapy, many patients with stage II disease recurred. For these patients, the concept of “high-risk stage II” was introduced to improve prognosis. High-risk stage II patients were defined as having a high-risk combination of certain molecular markers. In addition, patients with T4 staging, undifferentiated type, and fewer than 13 lymph nodes were considered high-risk.
The NCCN and ESMO have published guidelines for the treatment of stage II colon cancer. These guidelines recommend AC with oral 5-FU, AC with 5-FU/LV, or an oxaliplatin augmented regimen. While no study can confirm the accuracy of the recommendation of any treatment method, recent clinical trials should be reviewed for the use of stratification. These studies are important in assessing how adjuvant chemotherapy affects patients with stage II cancer.
