Diagnosing the Stages of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma staging as it’s commonly called, is a process to find out how far has the cancer spread in the body of victim. This process is performed immediately after mesothelioma cancer is confirmed. And after the stage of mesothelioma is confirmed doctors or specialists prescribe treatment and medication. The stage of mesothelioma is confirmed by performing various tests and scans like CT Scan, MRI, X-Rays etc.

Butchart Systems and TNM Systems are two ways in which the stage of mesothelioma is confirmed. While Butchart is an old system, it is still used by many specialists, TNM is newly developed system by International Mesothelioma Interest Group and has been adopted by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC).

Stage wise description of both the systems is given in the details to follow.

According to Butchart System:

Stage I is Mesothelioma is found present on only one side of the chest and has not started growing into the chest wall yet.

Stage II is Mesothelioma has attacked chest wall and food passage (i.e. esophagus) and heart to an extent. The second stage also confirms that the cancer is infected the pleura on the other side of the chest. Possibility of infection in the lymph nodes in chest may be there.

Stage III Mesothelioma has penetrated through the diaphragm into the abdominal cavity lining (peritoneum), or has invaded the lymph nodes beyond the chest.

Stage IV Mesothelioma cancer has spread to other organs through blood streams. It is the most critical stage. Due to long latency period mesothelioma cancer is often diagnosed in 3rd or 4th stage.

TNM System:

Here, T- Stands for Tumor – Size of tumor and how far it is infected. N refers to lymph Nodes and how far they have been attacked and M stands for metastasis (how far has it affected distant organs through blood stream)

Information about the tumor, lymph nodes, and metastasis is combined in a process called stage grouping to assign a stage of mesothelioma cancer. It is considered more accurate that Butchart system and therefore preferred over Butchart system by many leading institutes.

Based on Tumor’s size, lymph nodes and metastasis, the TNM diagnosis is made.

State I: Is when mesothelioma cancer has affected right or left pleura lining the chest. Not yet reached lymph Nodes an only a few spots can be identified in the outer lining of the lung.

Stage II: The right or left pleura lining the chest and has spread from the lining of the chest into the lung itself or the outer lining of the lung or the diaphragm.

Stage III is when Mesothelioma has infected either the right or left pleura lining the chest and has spread into the first layer or single place in the chest wall, outer covering layer of heart, lymph nodes in the same side of chest, or lastly fatty part of the mediastinum.

Stage IV is when mesothelioma cancer has affected right or left pleura lining the chest and has attacked, ribs, chest or muscle. Infected through the diaphragm into esophagus, trachea, thymus and blood vessels. Spine, heart or nerves leading the arms, lymph nodes outside that side of the chest lymph nodes outside that side of the chest are also affected.

Thus which stage is mesothelioma in, can be found by adopting any of the above systems. And medication can begin likewise.