Tumour staging and grading

Once your doctor has seen a detailed image of your tumour; most commonly after a CT scan, they will give your tumour a classification (stage). This is based on the tumour’s size, its location, whether it has spread to the lymph nodes or to a distant organ (metastasised). Staging tumours allows your tumour to be discussed using a common language; providing details on the tumour and the likely treatment options for tumours of that stage.

There are two different methods of staging tumours: the number system and the TNM system. Your doctor may use either or both. Details about the TNM and number systems are provided as downloadable charts.

Tumour grading

Your doctor may take a biopsy of your tumour, most commonly during surgery to remove it. Then a pathologist will look at the tumour’s cells from this biopsy under a microscope. The cells’ appearance enables the tumour to be graded and provides information about the disease prognosis (how aggressive the tumour is likely to be). Details about the grading system are provided as a downloadable chart.