How is mesothelioma staged?
Staging is the process of finding out how far the cancer has spread. Staging of
mesothelioma is based on imaging studies such as x-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans. The
mesothelioma treatment and
life expectancy for patients with the disease largely depends on the stage (extent of spread) of their cancer. Since
pleural mesothelioma occurs most frequently and has been studied the most, it is the only mesothelioma for which a staging classification exists.
Mesothelioma Staging Systems
Today, there are three primary staging systems used to assess how far mesothelioma cancer has spread and each system uses four stages to describe the progression of the disease. It is the definition of each stage within the various systems that can vary slightly.
The staging system most often used for
mesothelioma cancer is the Butchart system and is focused on defining the location of the primary tumor mass in body for each stage. The system doesn’t address how many cancer cells are present, how big the tumor is or the level of cancer present in the body overall.
The TNM Staging System, developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), is similar to staging systems used for other types of cancer. It considers the characteristics of the tumor (T), whether or not lymph nodes are involved (N) and if the cancer has metastasized to other locations in the body (M).
The Brigham Staging System also has four stages of progression and is very similar to the TNM Staging System. The primary difference between the two is that in addition to defining the location of the tumor, and assessing lymph node involvement and the presence of metastatic disease, the Brigham System also helps assess the possibility for and effectiveness of surgical intervention at each stage.
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