The Stage Of Cancer Determines Mesothelioma Treatment

The first step a physician will take if a patient is diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) or with pericardial or peritoneal mesothelioma is to determine the stage of the illness. Determining the stage tells the extent to which the tumor has spread outside the pleura, peritoneum, or pericardium.

First Origins of Cancer Staging

Before the 1940’s, systems for classifying stages of cancer did not exist. The first interest in creating a staging system originated soon after with the desire to find a way to assess different levels of breast cancer. Having such a system would allow doctors to make targeted treatment plans, have a better idea of survival times, and speak a common language when referring to cancers.

The first formal staging system to be applied to mesothelioma, which divided it into four distinct stages, was proposed by Butchart and his colleagues. The four stage descriptive approach remains the same today even though modifications have been and continue to be made to stay current with research.

Another system sometimes used when discussing stages of mesothelioma is called tumor-node-metastasis (TNM). As the name implies, this system looks at tumor size (T), node involvement (N), and degree of metastasis, (M).

Understanding Stages of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is most often divided into four stages, like most other types of lung cancer. Generally speaking, stages are determined by the size of the tumor and the degree of metastasis, or degree to which the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Both systems mentioned above divide mesothelioma into four stages. Stage I refers to tumors that are relatively small and localized. Stage II means the tumor has grown, and although it has not spread into surrounding tissue, may have entered into the lymph nodes. Stage III means the cancer is even larger, has spread to nearby lymph nodes, and is starting to spread into surrounding tissues. Stage IV is when the tumors have begun to spread to other body organs, commonly referred to as metastasized.

This spreading is referred to as metastasis. Once cancer has reached the stage of metastasizing, or Stage III or IV, treatment options become much more limited and the survival times are very low.

Determining the Stage of Mesothelioma

Several common tests and procedures are used to determine the stage of mesothelioma: chest X-rays, MRI’s, CT scans, surgery, and endoscopic ultrasounds (EUS). Your treating doctor will be able to recommend which test is best for you depending on the details of your individual case.

How Stages Affect Treatment and Prognosis

Stage I mesothelioma, also referred to as localized malignant mesothelioma, usually means the tumor is surgically resectable and the cancer has not spread. Stage II means the mesothelioma has spread to a nearby site, such as the lining of the chest or heart or lymph nodes on the same side of the chest. Treatment options and prognosis are still quite higher in this stage.

In Stage III, mesothelioma has spread beyond the lining to the chest wall and lymph nodes on the other side of or outside the chest. Intervention methods become increasingly limited and ineffective and prognosis is usually less than a year. In Stage IV, tumors have spread other organs more extensively. Survival times are very low and most therapies focus on pain management and improving quality of life versus slowing progression.

Mesothelioma is a Cancer without a Cure

To date, mesothelioma is incurable. Scientific and medical studies continue to explore ways of diagnosing mesothelioma at earlier stages. Such research will hopefully one day lead to longer survival times and more effective therapies.

Sally Clapper is a publicist for Clapper, Patti, Schweizer & Mason, asbestos lawyers that have been representing people with mesothelioma for over 25 years. As experts in the field of mesothelioma, the firm’s attorneys are recognized as some of the leading plaintiffs’ mesothelioma lawyers in the United States.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 9th, 2010 at 8:08 am and is filed under mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.