Mesothelioma
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Stages of Malignant
Mesothelioma
After malignant mesothelioma has been diagnosed, tests are
done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts
of the body.
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
The stages of malignant mesothelioma are divided into two
groups.
Localized malignant mesothelioma (stage I)
Advanced malignant mesothelioma (stage II, stage III, and
stage IV)
After malignant mesothelioma has been diagnosed, tests are
done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts
of the body.
The process used to find out if cancer has spread outside
the pleura or peritoneum is called staging. The information
gathered from the staging process determines the stage of
the disease. It is important to know the spread of the cancer
in order to plan treatment. The following tests and procedures
may be used in the staging process:
Chest x-ray: An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the
chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through
the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the
body.
CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed
pictures of the chest and abdomen, taken from different angles.
The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine.
A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the
organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is
also called computed tomography, computerized tomography,
or computerized axial tomography.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses
a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of
detailed pictures of the chest or abdomen. This procedure
is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS): A procedure in which an endoscope
is inserted into the body. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like
instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. A probe at
the end of the endoscope is used to bounce high-energy sound
waves (ultrasound) off internal tissues or organs and make
echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a
sonogram. This procedure is also called endosonography. EUS
may be used to guide fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of
the lung, lymph nodes, or other areas.
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
An endoscope that has an ultrasound probe and a biopsy needle
is inserted through the mouth and into the esophagus. The
probe bounces sound waves off body tissues to make echoes
that form a sonogram (computer picture) of the lymph nodes
near the esophagus. The sonogram helps the doctor see where
to place the biopsy needle to remove tissue from the lymph
nodes. This tissue is checked under a microscope for signs
of cancer.
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
The three ways that cancer spreads in the body are:
- Through tissue. Cancer invades the surrounding normal
tissue.
- Through the lymph system. Cancer invades the lymph system
and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in
the body.
- Through the blood. Cancer invades the veins and capillaries
and travels through the blood to other places in the body.
When cancer cells break away from the primary (original)
tumor and travel through the lymph or blood to other places
in the body, another (secondary) tumor may form. This process
is called metastasis. The secondary (metastatic) tumor is
the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example,
if breast cancer spreads to the bones, the cancer cells in
the bones are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is
metastatic breast cancer, not bone cancer.
The stages of malignant mesothelioma are divided into two
groups.
Malignant mesothelioma stages are grouped into localized
and advanced.
Localized malignant mesothelioma (stage I)
In localized malignant mesothelioma, cancer is found in the
lining of the chest wall and may also be found in the lining
of the lung, the lining of the diaphragm, or the lining of
the sac that covers the heart on the same side of the chest.
Advanced malignant mesothelioma (stage II, stage III, and
stage IV)
Advanced malignant mesothelioma includes stage II, stage
III, and stage IV.
In stage II, cancer is found in the lining of the chest wall
and the lymph nodes on the same side of the chest. Cancer
may also be found in the lining of the lung, the lining of
the diaphragm, or the lining of the sac that covers the heart
on the same side of the chest.
In stage III, cancer has spread to any of the following
areas:
- The chest wall.
- The mediastinum.
- The heart.
- Beyond the diaphragm.
- The peritoneum.
Cancer may have also spread to lymph nodes on the other
side of the chest or outside the chest.
In stage IV, cancer has spread to distant organs or tissues.
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