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Stages of Mesothelioma

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Stages of Mesothelioma

Staging is a prognosis tool used to determine how far a case of cancer has spread. It may affect what treatment options are available and/or most likely to be effective for the patient. Pleural mesothelioma, the most common form, may be staged using a few systems. There are currently no formal staging systems for the other forms of mesothelioma.

Pleural Mesothelioma Staging Systems

Doctors currently use three main staging systems to determine how far a patient’s stages of mesothelioma has progressed. Each system uses four stages to describe the progression of a particular case, but the definitions of each stage vary slightly according to the method used.

Butchart Staging System

The Butchart System is the most widely recognized and most commonly used staging system for pleural mesothelioma. This system looks at tumor size and spread to determine stage:

  • Stage 1: The mesothelioma has affected the right or left side of the pleural lining and may be seen in the diaphragm.
  • Stage 2: Both sides of the lungs show the presence of malignant mesothelioma, as do the lymph nodes. In Stage 2, the disease may also have spread to the heart, stomach, or esophagus.
  • Stage 3: In Stage 3, the mesothelioma has reached the peritoneum (lining of the abdominal cavity) as well as lymph nodes past the chest.
  • Stage 4: The cancer has entered the bloodstream and spread to additional organs that are not contiguous to the pleura.

TNM Staging System

The TNM System was developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. It is similar to the Butchart system and takes cues from staging systems created for other types of cancer. This system weighs not only the condition of tumors but also the effect of mesothelioma on the lymph nodes and whether the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body.

TNM stands for tumor (T), node (N), and metastasis (M)—the three factors a doctor must consider when using this staging system. When using the TNM staging system, within the stages of mesothelioma your doctor will ask:

  • (Tumor) How large is the primary tumor and what is its location?
  • (Node) Has the tumor metastasized to the lymph nodes?
  • (Metastasis) Has the tumor metastasized to other organs?

Substages Within the TNM System

The TNM staging system allows doctors to denote a patient’s disease with a high level of specificity. Here are the values doctors use to describe a patient’s diseases by category.

Tumor size and location:

  • T0 – No tumor exists
  • T1 – The tumor has penetrated the ipsilateral (one side of the) pleura.
  • T2 – Either of the ipsilateral pleural membranes is involved and the tumor has also penetrated either the diaphragm or the lung.
  • T3 – In addition to pleural membrane involvement, one of the following conditions also exists: Invasion of the membrane that surrounds the thorax; invasion into the area of the chest between the lungs; one area of invasion into the chest wall muscles; or slight invasion into the lining around the heart.
  • T4 – The tumor has invaded more than one area of the chest wall; the abdominal cavity; other organs in the chest; the spine; and/or the pericardium (the membrane surrounding the heart) OR the mesothelioma is affecting both pleura.
  • TX – This designation means that the doctor was unable to evaluate the tumor.

Lymph node metastasis:

  • N0 – The cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes in the area around the tumor.
  • N1 – The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes either inside or outside of the pleura.
  • N2 – It has spread to the lymph nodes in the area between the lungs on both sides of the body, the lymph nodes near the breast bone, and/or the lymph nodes above the collar bone on one or both sides of the body
  • NX – this designation means the doctor was unable to evaluate the lymph nodes around the tumor.

Spread to other organs:

  • M0 – The cancer has not metastasized to other organs.
  • M1 – The cancer has spread to other organs.

Determining the Stages of Mesothelioma Cancer in the TNM System

Once the doctor has finished the TNM assessment, the information from the various subgroups is then combined to assign the stages of mesothelioma – stage of the cancer. Your doctor may choose to use letters to further differentiate (stages 1A/1B, for example).

  • Stage 1: The malignant mesothelioma is in either the right or the left pleura. It may have also spread to one lung, the heart, or the diaphragm on the same side.
  • Stage 2: The cancer has reached a lymph node on the same side of the body as the affected lung. It has also spread to the lung on the same side as the tumor, or to the heart or diaphragm.
  • Stage 3: The mesothelioma has entered the abdominal cavity and lymph nodes beyond the chest.
  • Stage 4: The mesothelioma has spread throughout the pleural area as well as to the lymph nodes on both sides of the body. The cancer may also have reached additional organs or the abdomen at this stage.

Brigham Staging System

The Brigham System is the most modern mesothelioma staging system. Unlike the Butchart and the TNM Systems, the Brigham system also assesses the anticipated effectiveness of surgical intervention at each stage.

  • Stage 1: The mesothelioma tumor is still removable and lymph nodes are unaffected by the cancer.
  • Stage 2: Lymph nodes are affected but the cancer can still be removed surgically.
  • Stage 3: When the mesothelioma has reached the heart, chest cavity, abdominal cavity, or the diaphragm, surgical intervention is no longer a viable treatment option.
  • Stage 4: The mesothelioma has metastasized throughout the body and could not be removed by surgery.

Determining the Stages of Mesothelioma and a Prognosis

When malignant/cancer cells are shown on a CT Scan or MRI in the layer of tissue lining the chest cavity that covers the lungs, your doctor will give you a mesothelioma prognosis. The news will not be good and time will become a very important factor to you. The mesothelioma prognosis will detail that you will probably only survive for up to two years. The treatments you select to prolong your prognosis will actually determine not only how long you have left to live but the quality of life you will experience.

Once you have come to terms with the stages of mesothelioma and your mesothelioma prognosis, you might want to find out about how you contracted the disease. The normal culprit is asbestos exposure. This could have occurred upwards of 30 years or more in the past and normally happened at a workplace. The percentages are high if you worked in an industry – say construction or perhaps in the Navy – that had high levels of exposure before strict regulations were put into place by the EPA in 1980.

Working in proximity to asbestos means you could have inhaled or swallowed the microscopic fibers. The time between exposure and actual mesothelioma diagnosis is usually decades because the stages of mesothelioma so closely resemble those of common winter ailments.

Many people with mesothelioma were employed or had homes in places where they could have swallowed and breathed in asbestos. After the exposure, it normally takes a long period of time for a mesothelioma malignancy to form. Other risk factors for malignant mesothelioma include having daily and close contact with someone who worked near asbestos or even washing the clothes of someone who worked heavily with asbestos. If the microscopic fibers adhered to their clothing, if handled by someone, they could again become airborne and enter the body the same way.

Treatment of Mesothelioma by Stage

Unfortunately, mesothelioma is rare enough and its symptoms so nonspecific it is not usually diagnosed until a patient has already reached the later stages of mesothelioma. Anyone who is aware of asbestos exposure in their past should let their doctor know for this reason. By closely monitoring lung health, they may be able to catch tumor growth before it spreads throughout the body.

The earlier a case of mesothelioma can be detected, the much better a patient’s prognosis.

Millions Recovered for Mesothelioma Victims & Their Families

The effects of mesothelioma can be devastating. For years, Shrader & Associates L.L.P. has aggressively fought on behalf of individuals who were seriously harmed by exposure to asbestos.

The complications unique to your circumstances don’t intimidate us. Our mesothelioma attorneys provide meticulous case investigation, thorough case preparation, and aggressive representation to each and every client. Over the years, we have won hundreds of cases and reached many verdicts and settlements that benefit our clients and ensure they are taken care of.

Not sure if you have a case? Find out today. Call (866) 262-8170 to learn more about your legal options from Shrader & Associates L.L.P..

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