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Call us 13 11 20 Staging cervical cancer Listen Last reviewed October 2013 Contents Staging Grading Prognosis Information reviewed by The process of finding out how far the cancer has spread is called staging. Information from examinations and diagnostic tests is used to determine the size of the tumour, how deeply the tumour has invaded tissues within and around the cervix, and the spread of the lymph nodes or distant organs (metastasis). The grade of a cancer describes to what degree the cells have changed. Knowing the stage of the cancer and the grade helps the doctors to decide on the most appropriate treatment. Staging If tests find cervical cancer one of four main stages will be used to describe your cancer. Each stage then has further sub-divisions. Stage 1 - The cancer cells are only within the cervix. Stage 1 can be further divided into: Stage 1A The cancer can only be seen under the microscope Stage 1A1 The cancer has invaded to a depth of 3mm or less and has a width of 7mm or less Stage 1A2 The cancer is between 3 and 5mm deep and is 7mm or less wide Stage 1B The cancer is visible but still confined to the cervix Stage 1B1 The cancer in not larger than 4cm Stage 1B2 The cancer is larger than 4cm Stage 2 - The cancer has spread into surrounding structures, such as the vagina or the tissues next to the cervix Stage 2 can be further divided into: Stage 2A The cancer has spread into the upper part of the vagina Stage 2A1 The tumour size is not larger than 4cm Stage 2A2 The tumour size is larger than 4cm Stage 2B The cancer has spread into the tissue next to the cervix Stage 3 - The cancer has spread to areas such as the lower part of the vagina or the tissues at the sides of the pelvic area Stage 3 can be further divided into: Stage 3A The cancer has spread into the lower part of the vagina Stage 3B The cancer has spread throughout to the tissue at the sides of the pelvic area and may be pressing on one of the ureters (the tubes urine passes through from the kidneys to the bladder). If the tumour is causing pressure on a ureter, there may be a buildup of urine in the kidney Stage 4 - The cancer has spread to the bladder or bowel or beyond the pelvic area Stage 4 can be further divided into: Stage 4A Stage 4B The cancer has spread to nearby organs such as the bladder and bowel The cancer has spread to distant organs such as the lungs, liver or bone Your doctors may also use the following terms to describe your cancer: Early stage cervical cancer – this usually includes stages 1A to 1B Locally advanced cervical cancer – this usually includes stages 2A to 4A Advanced-stage cervical cancer – this usually means stage 4B Recurrent: If the cancer comes back after initial treatment, this is known as recurrent cancer. Cervical cancer may come back in the cervix or in another part of the body. Grading A pathologist will use tests on your cancer biopsy to ‘grade’ your cancer. Grade refers to the extent of similarity of cancer cells to normal cells. Low-grade tumours tend to grow more slowly while high-grade tumours grow faster and spread more quickly. Prognosis Prognosis means the expected outcome of a disease. You will need to discuss your prognosis and treatment options with your doctor, but it is not possible for any doctor to predict the exact course of your disease. However the sooner cervical cancer is diagnosed, the better the prognosis. Most women with early cervical cancer will be cured. Test results, the type of cancer you have, the rate and depth of tumour growth, how well you respond to treatment and other factors such as age, fitness and medical history are all important factors in assessing your prognosis. Information reviewed by: A/Prof Selvan Pather, Gynaecological Oncologist, Sydney Cancer Centre, A/Prof in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney, NSW; Continence Foundation of Australia; Carmen Heathcote, Cancer Council Queensland Helpline Consultant; Yvonne Howlett, Cancer Council Queensland Helpline Consultant; A/Prof Michael Jackson, Director, Radiation Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, NSW; and Anne Steng, Patient. Content printed from https://www.cancersa.org.au/information/a-z-index/staging-cervical-cancer This website is made possible by the generous support of South Australians. Copyright © 2010-2017 Cancer Council SA