Understanding Your Stage of Malignant Mesothelioma

Before deciding on treatment options, your doctor will need to know the extent of the malignant mesothelioma. This is called the stage. Your doctor will look at the results of the tests you had in order to determine the stage of the cancer.

The stage of cancer tells how much and how far the cancer has spread. At this time, mesothelioma around the lung (called pleural mesothelioma) is the only type that has been staged. This is because it is the most common form of mesothelioma.

The AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) staging system uses Roman numerals from I to IV (1 to 4) for the different stages. Stage I (the earliest stage) means you have the smallest amount of cancer. Stage IV (the most advanced stage) means you have the largest amount.

• Stage I. The cancer is in the lining of the chest cavity near the lung or on the lining of the lung, heart, or diaphragm. Or, it can be in both the chest cavity and one of the other places.

• Stage II. The cancer has spread to the areas between the sections (lobes) of the lungs. It is trying to move into the lung from the lining. Or it is moving into the muscle that controls breathing, called the diaphragm.

• StageIII. The cancer has spread into the lymph nodes that drain the chest and the lung. It has moved into the heart sac. Or it has moved outside the chest in one spot.

• Stage IV. The cancer has spread through the breathing muscle (diaphragm) into the belly, to the other side of the chest or other lung, or to distant organs or tissues.

• Recurrent. Recurrent cancer means that the cancer has come back after it has been treated.

Stage I and II usually have smaller tumors than stages III and IV. The size of the tumor can influence the recommendations for treatment.