The stage of your skin cancer helps your provider determine the best treatment options for you. Staging describes whether cancer has spread and, if it has, how far. When skin cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, it is more likely to be cured.
When your Fred Hutch Cancer Center team designs your treatment plan, they will take into account the stage of your cancer along with many other factors. The stage is an important part of choosing which treatments are right for you.
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How Staging Works
The most widely used system in the United States is the TNM (Tumor, Node, Metastasis) staging system. It is based on these three factors:
- T = Tumor: The main (primary) skin tumor is checked for size and to see if it grows into nearby tissues
- N = Nodes: The physician tests to see if the cancer has reached any nearby (sometimes called “regional”) lymph nodes
- M = Metastasis: Cancer cells are also tested to find out if the disease has spread (metastasized) to organs or distant parts of the body beyond nearby lymph nodes
Once this information is known, the disease can be staged as 0, I (1), II (2), III (3) or IV (4).
Staging for Skin Cancers
- Basal cell carcinoma: Because basal cell carcinoma (basal cell skin cancer) is typically treated and cured before spreading to other parts of the body, staging is rarely needed.
- Squamous cell carcinoma: Determining the stage of squamous cell carcinoma (squamous cell skin cancer) is important, especially for those who are at a higher risk of recurrence (the cancer coming back).
- Melanoma: Since melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer, compared to basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, staging is important to find out whether the cancer has spread – and to what extent. Learn more about staging for melanoma.
- Merkel cell carcinoma: Because Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is aggressive and can spread quickly, accurate staging of the disease is important. Learn more about staging for MCC.
While staging basal cell carcinoma isn’t always necessary because it’s typically cured before spreading to other parts of the body, if staging is needed, it follows the same stages of 0 – IV (4) as other skin cancers.