Oral cancer Stages
What are the stages of oral cancer?
The stage of oral cancer tells you its size and depth, and whether it has spread. The grade tells you how much the cancer cells look like normal cells. This gives your doctor an idea of how the cancer might behave and what treatment you need. In order to stage the oral cancer, the doctor should know:
- How large is the tumor
- If the cancer has spread to nearby tissue or organs
- Whether the lymph nodes are affected
When and how does my doctor determine the stage of my oral cancer?
Doctors need to know the stage at which the oral cancer is in help to determine which treatment to recommend. The stage is dependent on the tumor size and extent, the number of lymph nodes involved and whether the cancer has spread. Your oral cancer oncologist will get this information by carrying out various tests.
What is stage 0 oral cancer?
A stage 0 oral cancer tumor means that cancer only develops in the epithelium, or the outermost tissue layer in the oral cavity or oropharynx. No cancer cells arise in deeper tissue layers, surrounding tissues, lymph nodes or distant locations (in situ carcinoma).
What is stage I oral cancer?
In oral cancer stage 1, the cancer is in the mouth which is 2cms or less in size. The cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes or anywhere in the body. There is a very good chance of survival at this stage of oral cancer.
What is stage II oral cancer?
In stage 2, the size of the cancer is about 2-4cms. It has not spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
What is stage III oral cancer?
In oral cancer stage 3, the size of the tumor is more than 4cms. It has not spread to the lymph nodes or to other parts of the body.
What is stage IV oral cancer?
In oral cancer stage 4, the tumor can be of any size but the cancer can spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
What is recurrent oral cancer?
Recurrent oral cancer is cancer that has returned after treatment. When cancer reoccurs, the process of staging is also begun again. You would most likely have similar tests to those you first had to determine the extent of cancer.
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