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Staging
If the biopsy shows that you have cancer, your doctor needs to know the extent
(stage)
of the disease. In very few cases, the doctor may check your lymph
nodes to stage the cancer.
The stage is based on:
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The size of the growth
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How deeply it has grown beneath the top layer of skin
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Whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body
These are the stages of skin cancer:
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Stage 0: The cancer involves only the top layer of skin. It is
carcinoma in situ.
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Stage I: The growth is 2 centimeters wide (three-quarters of an inch) or
smaller.
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Stage II: The growth is larger than 2 centimeters wide (three-quarters
of an inch).
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Stage III: The cancer has spread below the skin to
cartilage,
muscle,
bone, or to nearby lymph nodes. It has not spread to other places in the body.
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Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other places in the body.
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Dictionary Terms
carcinoma in situ (KAR-sih-NOH-muh in SY-too)
A group of abnormal cells that remain in the place where they first formed. They have not spread. These abnormal cells may become cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue. Also called stage 0 disease.
cartilage (KAR-tih-lij)
A tough, flexible tissue that lines joints and gives structure to the nose, ears, larynx, and other parts of the body.
stage
The extent of a cancer in the body. Staging is usually based on the size of the tumor, whether lymph nodes contain cancer, and whether the cancer has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.
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