Adrenal Cancer Staging

The stage of cancer tells how much and how far the disease has spread. By using exams and tests, a doctor can tell the stage of a person's adrenal cancer. A cancer's stage is one of the most important factors in deciding what treatment to have for the cancer.

Both the International Union Against Cancer and the American Joint Committee on Cancer have developed a standard way to find out how much a cancer has grown. This system is known as the TNM System.

The ‘T' shows how much a tumor has spread into the adrenal gland and nearby areas. The ‘N' indicates whether the lymph nodes in the area of the original tumor are cancerous. The ‘M' indicates whether or not the cancer has spread to other distant, organs in the body, like the lungs, bones, or brain.

Once a person's T, N, and M stages have been determined, this information is put together in what is called stage grouping. This is used to determine a person's overall disease stage. Stage grouping is shown in Roman numerals going from I (the earliest stage) to IV (the most advanced stage). The prognosis for a person decreases as the stage grouping goes up.

• Stage I. The tumor is less than 5cm (2.5 inches) and the cancer has not spread outside of the adrenal gland.

• Stage II. The tumor is larger than 5cm (2.5 inches) and the cancer has not spread outside the adrenal gland.

• Stage III. The tumor has spread to neighboring lymph nodes.

• Stage IV. The tumor has spread to distant areas.

• Recurrent. Recurrent cancer means that the cancer has come back after it has been treated.