How Many Liver Cancer Stages Are There?
Once a liver cancer diagnosis has been made the next step is to determine how advanced the cancer has become. This process is called staging. There are four liver cancer stages that are used in determining the stage of liver cancer present in an individual. There are several tests that may be used to determine this including blood tests, CT scans and an MRI or magnetic resonance imaging test.
Stage 1 indicates that the liver cancer is a small tumor or growth confined to the liver area. This means it has not yet started to grow and has not yet affected any blood vessels or other areas.
In Stage 2 liver cancer may be a small tumor that has started to spread to local blood vessels. This stage may also consist of several small tumors within the liver.
Stage 3 may show that the liver contains multiple tumors that have grown in size or maybe even one large tumor. This stage may also show that the cancer has spread to infect the main veins within the liver or nearby organs and glands such as the gallbladder.
Stage 4 is the last of the liver cancer stages. In this stage the cancer has spread beyond the liver to other areas of the body.
The more advanced the stage of liver cancer the more the cancer has spread. As this disease spreads or advances the more difficult it becomes to treat. This is why early detection of liver cancer is so important. It is imperative that you seek medical counsel at the first showing of liver cancer symptoms. Some of the symptoms to be aware of include nausea, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, internal bleeding, pain in the upper part of the abdomen or around the right shoulder blade, changes in the color of urine or stool and jaundice or yellowing of the skin and white parts of the eyes. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you should promptly seek medical attention in order to be tested for this deadly disease. Early detection is essential in receiving effective treatment.
In addition to the four stages of liver cancer there is another method of determining liver cancer stages. This method is called the TNM system and is based on the results of different tests that may be used to determine the extent of liver cancer present.
In the TNM system the T represents how many tumors are present as well as the size of the tumors and whether they have spread beyond the liver. The N indicates if the tumor has spread to nearby lymph nodes and the M is used to determine if the cancer has spread to other organs in the body such as the lungs or kidneys.
In addition to these letters a series of numbers or letters may be used following the letter of indication. For example the numbers 0-4 may be used following the T indicating not only the size and number of tumors but also how severe the cancer is.
