Page 2 - CUA-BCC _Brochure 2022
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What is cancer staging?
Staging is a way to classify a cancer based on where it is first diagnosed and how far it has spread.
This helps your doctor choose the right treatment for you.
Bladder cancer is usually staged using the TNM system, which classifies cancers into five stages, from 0 to 4.
The higher the stage number, the more the cancer has spread (table 1).
Table 1: The characteristics defining the stages of urothelial cancer
Stage Urothelial Cancer Classification
0 Cancerous cells are found on or near the surface of the bladder
I Cancerous cells are found in the connective tissue lining the bladder
II Cancerous cells have spread to the the muscle wall lining the bladder
III Cancer cells have spread to the fatty layer of tissue that surrounds the bladder
IV Cancerous cells have spread to structures beyond the bladder
In the TNM system, stage IVA is when the cancer has grown into the pelvic wall or the abdominal wall (locally
advanced) or has spread to lymph nodes distant from the bladder. Stage IVB is metastatic cancer, which has spread
to other parts of the body.
Where has my cancer spread to?
Ask your doctor to mark the places your cancer has spread on this diagram:
