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Treatment options
are often determined by your stage of mesothelioma. There
is no established staging system for peritoneal mesothelioma.
If your cancer is staged it may be done according to the
TNM system. There are three staging systems used for pleural
mesothelioma, the Butchart system, the TNM system and the
Brigham system.
The Butchart staging system is the oldest system. It is
based on the size and spread of the primary pleural cancer
and is divided into four stages.
|
Stage
1:
|
Mesothelioma
is in the pleura on the right or left side only. It
may have grown into the covering of the heart (pericardium)
and the diaphragm.
|
|
Stage
2:
|
Mesothelioma has grown into the chest wall. It may be
in the pleura on both sides. It may also have grown
into the esophagus, heart, or lymph nodes in the chest.
|
|
Stage
3:
|
Mesothelioma has penetrated to the abdominal cavity.
It may be found in lymph nodes beyond the chest.
|
|
Stage
4:
|
Mesothelioma
has spread through the bloodstream to other organs.
|
The TNM system
describes (T) tumor, (N) lymph nodes, (M) metastasis
|
Stage
1:
|
Mesothelioma
affects right or left pleura and may have grown into
the covering of the heart (pericardium) and the diaphragm.
|
|
Stage
2:
|
Mesothelioma
has spread to both layers of the pleura on the same
side of the body.
|
|
Stage
3:
|
Mesothelioma
has spread to the chest wall, esophagus or lymph nodes
on the same side of the chest.
|
|
Stage
4:
|
Mesothelioma
has spread through the bloodstream to other organs in
the body such as the liver, brain or bone or to lymph
nodes on the other side of the chest.
|
The Brigham staging system is based on whether the mesothelioma
can be removed by surgery and whether the lymph nodes are
involved or not. There are four stages, which are similar
to the TNM system.
|
Stage
1:
|
Mesothelioma
can be removed with surgery and there are no lymph nodes
containing cancer cells.
|
|
Stage
2:
|
Mesothelioma can be removed with surgery but there are
lymph nodes containing cancer cells.
|
|
Stage
3:
|
Mesothelioma
cannot be removed with surgery because it has spread
into the chest wall, heart, or through the diaphragm
into the peritoneum. There may or may not be lymph nodes
containing cancer cells.
|
|
Stage
4:
|
Mesothelioma
has spread through the bloodstream to other organs in
the body such as the liver, brain or bone.
|
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