What are the different stages of cancer?
Cancer Institute NSW
Published 9 January 2019
The different stages of cancer describe how far the cancer has grown and spread at the time of diagnosis.
Stages are used to describe the spread of solid tumours, like breast, bowel or lung cancers. Blood cancers, such as leukaemia or myelodysplasia, behave differently and are staged in different ways.
What is cancer staging?
Staging is the process of measuring how far a cancer has spread when it is first diagnosed. It often involves having scans and other tests.
Knowing the stage of a cancer is important as it helps doctors to work out the best treatment options.
It also means the person with cancer can fully understand their situation and discuss any concerns they have.
There are different staging systems for different cancers, but they generally use either the:
What is the numbered system?
The numbered system uses stage numbers to identify how far cancer has spread:
Stage 0 cancer
Often referred to as ‘in-situ’ cancer means the cancer cells are still in the place where they started and have not spread at all.
Stage 1 cancer
Is small and has only spread a little into nearby tissues. It has not spread to any lymph nodes or other body areas.
Stage 2 and 3 cancer
Means it is larger or has spread into nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
Stage 4 cancer
This is when the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. Stage 4 cancer is also called metastatic cancer or advanced cancer. See definition of metastasis.
The metastatic tumour contains cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumour.
What is the TNM system?
In the TNM system, there are three categories:
- T = tumour
- N = lymph nodes
- M = metastases
Each of these categories is given a score, and together these scores show how far the cancer has spread.
Cancer Support
It is important to be informed and get involved in decisions about your care. Take your T.I.P.S. information sheet with you to your appointment with your treating doctor.
Ask them about each element, and they will discuss these with you and provide you with information that is most relevant to you.
Examples of questions you can ask include:
- What type of cancer do I have?
- Has the cancer spread?
- Is it possible to cure or control my cancer?
- What support services can I access?
- When do I see you again?
See our cancer care tips, for ways to improve your cancer care.
You can find a list of organisations that provide cancer information and support in NSW on our CanRefer website.
The Cancer Council Australia provides more information for people recently diagnosed - you can also call their support line 13 11 20.
Visit Patient Information to learn about cancer diagnosis, treatment and possible side effects. You will find practical advice about dealing with cancer and finding support.
We also recommend links to more detailed information.