Stages of Cervical Cancer
The following stages are used in the classification of cervical cancer:
Stage or carcinoma in situ. Carcinoma in situ is very early cancer. Abnormal cells are found only in the first layer of cells lining the cervix, and do not invade deeper tissues of the cervix.
Stage I. Cancer involves the cervix but has not spread to the surroundings.
Ia: a very small amount of cancer, only visible under the microscope, is already in the deeper tissue of the cervix.
Ib: a greater amount of cancer in this tissue.
Stage II. The cancer has spread to nearby areas, but still in the pelvic area.
II-a: the cancer has spread beyond the cervix to the upper two thirds of the vagina.
II-b: The cancer has spread to tissue surrounding the cervix.
Stage III. The cancer has spread to the entire pelvic area. May have spread to the bottom of the vagina, or infiltrate the ureters (the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder).
Stage IV. The cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
IV-a: Spread to the bladder or rectum (organs close to the cervix)
IV-b: Spread to distant organs like the lungs.
Appellant. Recurrent disease (relapse) means the cancer has returned after having been treated. It can occur in the cervix itself or appear in another location.