Staging

A diagnosis of cancer will lead to staging and other tests to help determine the outlook and the appropriate treatments.

The large intestine is a long hollow organ lined with mucous membrane (mucosa). Muscle layers wrap around the entire length and help move food material through to the rectum.

Staging

Unlike many other cancers, the size of the tumor is not a major factor in determining the outcome of colorectal cancer. Of greater importance is how far the cancer has spread. To determine this, physicians will assign a stage to the tumor. There are several methods for staging. The older system, known as Dukes', categorizes four basic stages: A, B, C, and D. A more recent system refers to these stages as I, II, III, and IV but divides the categories slightly differently. The term "five-year survival" means that patients have lived at least five years since diagnosis. Most patients who live five years without a recurrence are considered to be cured of their disease.

Stage	Condition	Five-Year Survival
Text Continues Below A or I	Tumor superficially involves the inner lining of the intestine.	More than 90%
B or II	Tumor has penetrated through the muscle wall of the intestine but has not reached the lymph nodes.	70% to 85%
C or III	Lymph nodes are involved.	65% or below
D or IV	Tumor has spread to other organs (metastasized), usually the liver first.	5% to 9%

Click the icon to see an image of the stages of cancer.

Tumor Markers