Table of contents:
- Understand the stages and stages for liver cancer
- Stage grouping for liver cancer
- Stage IA liver cancer
- Stage IB liver cancer
- Stage II liver cancer
- Stage IIIA liver cancer
- Stage IIIB liver cancer
- Stage IVA liver cancer
- Stage IVB liver cancer
- Other liver cancer staging systems
- Cirrhosis staging system
When you are diagnosed with liver cancer, the doctor will tell you the stage of the cancer you are experiencing. Staging is usually used to determine the severity of cancer. In addition, these stages also help doctors determine the right liver cancer treatment for patients. The following is an explanation of the stages of the following stages of liver cancer.
Understand the stages and stages for liver cancer
After the doctor diagnoses that you have liver cancer, the next step is to find out the stage of the cancer stage or the severity of the disease. According to Cancer Research UK, there is a system that can help determine the stage of cancer, namely the TNM system.
TNM stands for Tumor, Nodule, and Metastatic. These three things explain about:
- The size of the initial tumor that appeared in the body (T).
- Whether the spread of cancer has reached the lymph nodes (N).
- Whether the spread of cancer has reached other areas of the body (M).
For each score there will be a scale from 0 to 4:
- The numbers 0 to 4 indicate the severity.
- The letter X means “cannot be assessed” because this information is not available.
Combining the T, N, and M scores determines the stage for cancer that ranges between I (1) and IV (4). Roman numerals are used to label the grade of cancer.
Usually, each stage is also indicated by different symptoms of liver cancer. For that, pay attention to the severity of liver cancer through grouping as described below.
Stage grouping for liver cancer
After the T, N, and M groups were determined, they were then combined to find the entire stage, using Roman numerals I through IV (1 to 4):
Stage IA liver cancer
At this stage, the tumor is 2 centimeters (cm) in size or maybe smaller and has not entered the blood vessels (T1A). In addition, this cancer has not spread to the blood vessels (N0) or to other parts of the body (M0).
Stage IB liver cancer
At stage IB, the tumor is more than 2 cm in size (T1B), but it has not spread to lymph nodes (N0) or other organs (M0).
Stage II liver cancer
Either a single tumor (of any size) has developed in the blood vessels, or there are multiple tumors, all measuring approximately 5 cm (2 inches) (T2). The cancer has not spread to lymph nodes (N0) or other organs that are far away (M0).
Stage IIIA liver cancer
There is more than one tumor, and at least one larger than 5 cm (2 inches) (T3). However, at stage IIIA, the cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes (N0) or other organs (M0).
Stage IIIB liver cancer
One tumor grows to become one of the branches of a blood vessel in the liver (portal or hepatic vein) (T4). However, at this stage, the cancer does not spread to the lymph nodes (N0) or other parts of the body (M0).
Stage IVA liver cancer
There is one or more tumors in the liver of indeterminate size (AnyT). This cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes (N1), but still has not spread to other organs (M0).
Stage IVB liver cancer
In this late stage liver cancer, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (tumors can be any size or number, and nearby lymph nodes may have been affected). (AnyT, AnyN, and M1).
Because liver cancer patients usually have a malfunctioning liver due to cirrhosis, the doctor who treats you needs to know how the liver can do its job. Doctors and other medical professionals will use a system called a score Child-Pugh to measure several different substances in the blood, fluid in the stomach, and the brain functions to do this.
Other liver cancer staging systems
Liver cancer is a very complicated disease. The TNM system usually defines only the extent of cancer and does not include liver function. There are several other systems that take into account the function of the liver, including:
- System The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC).
- System The Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP).
- Okuda system.
This system can be used in various parts of the world. To better understand the stage of your cancer, ask your doctor which staging system they use. Understanding the stage of the cancer will help you understand the severity of the disease.
Cirrhosis staging system
Cirrhosis is a severe form of injury to the liver due to other conditions such as hepatitis and prolonged alcohol use. Most patients with liver cancer also have cirrhosis.
For the stage of cirrhosis, your doctor may use a score Child-Pugh . This is another widely used staging system of liver cancer that measures liver function and categorizes the extent of cirrhosis. It uses a combination of a physical exam and lab tests. Scoring system Child-Pugh looks at 5 factors, the first 3 from the blood test results:
- Bilirubin levels. High bilirubin causes yellowing of the skin and eyes.
- Levels of albumin, is the main protein normally produced by the liver.
- Prothrombin time, which means how well the liver is at clotting blood.
- Is there fluid (ascites) in the stomach.
- Does liver disease affect brain function.
From the test results of these factors, liver function is divided into 3 classes: A, B, and C. Class A means that liver function is still classified as normal.
If you have a mild problem with your liver function, you are class B. Severe cases are class C. People with liver cancer and class C cirrhosis are often unable to afford surgery or other major cancer treatments.
Therefore, you can prevent liver cancer by doing early screening. If you are declared healthy and do not have this disease, as much as possible avoid the causes of liver cancer. However, if you are diagnosed with this condition, adopt a healthy lifestyle and undergo treatment.
