by Aubrea Glenn

Created on: April 28, 2008

Cancer staging is used by oncologists (cancer doctors) to determine the extent of "infection" of a cancer victim.

Each type of cancer has its own staging. These stages are usually composed of different levels and each level can be split into yet more classifications. For an example, I will describe the staging my oncologist used to label my Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

For Hodgkin's, there are 4 stages. These stages are divided up based on where and to what extent the cancer has spread. They are as follows:

Stage 1: Only one lymph node region or lymph structure is involved.

Stage 2: Two or more lymph node regions or lymph structures are involved and they are on only one side of the diaphragm.

Stage 3: Lymph node regions or structures on both sides of the diaphragm are involved.

Stage 4: The cancer is widespread, and includes any number of organs or tissues other than the lymph node regions or structures.

Lymph node regions are the lymph nodes and the area surrounding tissues, like the nodes under your collarbone. Lymph structures are the organs that are part of the lymphatic system, like your spleen and your thymus gland.

Each stage can be split into further classifications. These classifications, for Hodgkin's, are based on the symptoms and traits of the disease. They are as follows:

Class A: The victim did not have an unexplained fever, night sweats, or weight loss.

Class B: The victim did have the aforementioned symptoms.

Class E: The disease spread from one area to the surrounding tissue in the same area of the body.

Class S: The disease has infected the spleen.

Class X: There are bulky masses of cancerous tissue present in the body.

These classes get paired with the stages to label the extent of the disease. For example, my Hodgkin's had spread to a 3B, meaning I experienced the night sweats, fevers, and weight loss, and the cancer had spread to areas on both sides of my diaphragm. These labels help doctors communicate how bad the illness is, without having to go into a dissertation on what is going on. Thanks to these classifications, treatment can be given more quickly and efficiently, because the doctors and technicians and nurses are not involved in lengthy explanations and the inevitable confusion that would ensue from those conversations.

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