Global Immuno-Oncology & Biomarkers Summit

Stages of cancer

The cells that generate cancer cells begin to divide more vigorously than usual. As the cancer progresses, tissue that has become malignant continues to alter and become more malignant. The tumour cells become differentiated and the body’s regulatory system is no longer able to control the changes taking place, and so eventually the cancerous tissue begins to spread.Cancer begins to cause damage to the body by growing locally, metastasising in different organs and causing a variety of general symptoms. A malignant tumour can become sizeable at its primary site and harm the normal functioning of the organ in question. The tumour can also displace neighbouring organs, causing pain and pressure symptoms.

Cancer is divided into five stages using the TNM system – 0, I, II, III, IV. Stage 0 means the presence of a small carcinoma in situ that has not spread. Stage IV means cancer that has spread widely or cancer that has metastasised. In some cases the stages have subclasses