They may be group staged using the T, N and M system.

The T describes the size of the primary site and whether it is invading into nearby tissue.

The N tells whether lymph nodes have been involved with the cancer, how many, their size and their location.

M tells whether there is any spread of the cancer to distant organs and sites.

Together they will be combined to form a numeric system from I to IV. Stage I is the earliest, most curable form of cancer, while stage IV is the most advanced and is difficult to cure. Please see the chart for accurate staging information regarding your cancer.