Hello
friend
If someone in your family or you
think they have signs of this disease, then you should read this article all
the way and will be able to know what to do, I hope you this information is
helpful.
Mesothelioma — Staging
Systems — Overview
For many decades, doctors have
been addressing the seriousness of particular cancers in terms of stages. Over the
years, various staging systems have been developed to assist doctors in determining
a diagnosis and the best form of treatment for the patient in question. There
are three popular staging systems used to examine the extent of mesothelioma.
Each of the three different staging systems measure various factors of
malignant mesothelioma including the extent of tumor or primary mass, the
metastasis (spreading), and the involvement of the lymph nodes.
Butchart System
The Butchart System is the oldest
staging system for malignant mesothelioma and is the one most commonly used by
doctors and specialists to diagnose and treat malignant mesothelioma. The Butchart
System is based on the tumor size (mass) and divides malignant mesothelioma
into four stages:
Stage I — Malignant mesothelioma
has affected the right or left side of the chest cavity (pleura) and may be seen
in the diaphragm.
Stage II — Malignant mesothelioma
has been found in the pleura on both sides of the body and may have also moved
into the heart, stomach, or esophagus on both sides. Lymph nodes may be affected.
Stage III — Malignant
mesothelioma has reached the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). Lymph nodes past
the chest may be affected.
Stage IV — Malignant mesothelioma
has reached other organs and has entered the blood stream.
TNM System
The TNM System is a more modern
staging system for malignant mesothelioma. The TNM System is based on the
extent of the tumor, metastasis, and lymph node involvement. This system also
divides malignant mesothelioma into four stages:
Stage I — Malignant mesothelioma
is present in the left or right chest cavity (pleura) and may have metastasized
to the lung, the sac around the heart (pericardium), or the diaphragm on the
same side. Lymph nodes at Stage I are not involved.
Stage II — Malignant mesothelioma
has reached from one side of the chest cavity to a lymph node near the lung
area on the same side as the cancer. The cancer has metastasized to the
diaphragm, pericardium (sac around the heart), or the lung on the same side as
the original cancer.
Stage III — Malignant mesothelioma
has penetrated the chest lining, heart, esophagus, muscle, ribs, and vital organs
within the chest cavity on the same side as the cancer. Lymph nodes may or may
not be involved during this stage.
Stage IV — Malignant mesothelioma
has metastasized to the pleural area and the lymph nodes on the opposite side
of where the cancerous tumor is located. It may also have reached the chest cavities
or lungs on both sides or may have spread to the abdomen.
Brigham System
The Brigham System is the most
modern of the three malignant mesothelioma staging systems. The Brigham System
looks at different variables such as the involvement of the lymph nodes and the
surgical ability to remove a malignant mesothelioma tumor (respectability). For
this reason, it is often not used to stage mesothelioma as the cancer is rarely
operable. The Brigham System divides malignant mesothelioma into four stages:
Stage I — The malignant
mesothelioma tumor is still resectable (surgically removable) and the lymph
nodes are not affected.
Stage II — The malignant
mesothelioma tumor is still resectable (surgically removable), but the lymph
nodes are now affected.
Stage III — The malignant
mesothelioma tumor is not resectable (surgically removable) and it has penetrated
the heart, chest wall, abdominal cavity, or diaphragm. Lymph nodes may or may
not be affected.
Stage IV — The malignant
mesothelioma tumor is not resectable (surgically removable) and has completely metastasized
(spread throughout the body).
This was all for today, please keep visiting us.
A hug and God Bless
JARAMILLO JOHNY
