What Stage is Your Mesothelioma?
Treatment options are often determined by your stage of mesothelioma. There is no established staging system for peritoneal mesothelioma. If your cancer is staged it may be done according to the TNM system. There are three staging systems used for pleural mesothelioma, the Butchart system, the TNM system and the Brigham system.
The Butchart staging system is the oldest system. It is based on the size and spread of the primary pleural cancer and is divided into four stages.
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Stage 1: |
Mesothelioma is in the pleura on the right or left side only. It may have grown into the covering of the heart (pericardium) and the diaphragm. |
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Stage 2: |
Mesothelioma has grown into the chest wall. It may be in the pleura on both sides. It may also have grown into the esophagus, heart, or lymph nodes in the chest. |
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Stage 3: |
Mesothelioma has penetrated to the abdominal cavity. It may be found in lymph nodes beyond the chest. |
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Stage 4: |
Mesothelioma has spread through the bloodstream to other organs. |
The TNM system describes (T) tumor, (N) lymph nodes, (M) metastasis
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Stage 1: |
Mesothelioma affects right or left pleura and may have grown into the covering of the heart (pericardium) and the diaphragm. |
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Stage 2: |
Mesothelioma has spread to both layers of the pleura on the same side of the body. |
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Stage 3: |
Mesothelioma has spread to the chest wall, esophagus or lymph nodes on the same side of the chest. |
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Stage 4: |
Mesothelioma has spread through the bloodstream to other organs in the body such as the liver, brain or bone or to lymph nodes on the other side of the chest. |
The Brigham staging system is based on whether the mesothelioma can be removed by surgery and whether the lymph nodes are involved or not. There are four stages, which are similar to the TNM system.
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Stage 1: |
Mesothelioma can be removed with surgery and there are no lymph nodes containing cancer cells. |
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Stage 2: |
Mesothelioma can be removed with surgery but there are lymph nodes containing cancer cells. |
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Stage 3: |
Mesothelioma cannot be removed with surgery because it has spread into the chest wall, heart, or through the diaphragm into the peritoneum. There may or may not be lymph nodes containing cancer cells. |
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Stage 4: |
Mesothelioma has spread through the bloodstream to other organs in the body such as the liver, brain or bone. |