Cancer stage is a measure of how large and invasive the tumour is, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body (this is different from the cancer grade). The exact cancer staging system varies depending on the type of cancer and where in the body it is found, so you should ask for a detailed explanation. However, the cancer stages will generally follow this pattern:

• Stage 1 – the tumour is small and well contained in the area of the body where it started.
• Stage 2 – the tumour is larger than Stage 1, but still contained with possibly some cancer cells present in lymph nodes in the surrounding area.
• Stage 3 – the tumour is larger, may have spread in the local area of the body and cancer cells are present in nearby lymph nodes.
• Stage 4 – the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. These additional tumours are known as metastases.

Cancer stage is sometimes written in roman numerals, so Stage 4 may be written as “IV”.

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