Stages of non-melanoma skin cancer
Staging describes or classifies a cancer based on how much cancer there is in the body and where it is when first diagnosed. This is often called the extent of cancer. The healthcare team uses information from tests to find out the size of the tumour, whether the cancer has spread from where it first started and where the cancer has spread. Doctors use the stage to plan treatment and estimate the outcome (prognosis).
Staging has been developed for non-melanoma skin cancer, but doctors don't use it often because most non-melanoma skin cancers are found early. Since they are treated right away and typically don’t spread to other parts of the body, staging is not needed. Doctors may classify non-melanoma skin cancer into risk groups instead of staging the cancer.
In some cases, the doctor may test or remove nearby lymph nodes to see if cancer has spread from its original location on the skin. Imaging tests, such as an ultrasound, CT scan or MRI, may also be sometimes done to determine the extent of the cancer in the body.
Find out more about staging cancer.
Your trusted source for accurate cancer information
With just $5 from readers like you, we can continue to provide the highest quality cancer information for over 100 types of cancer.
We’re here to ensure easy access to accurate cancer information for you and the millions of people who visit this website every year. But we can’t do it alone.
If everyone reading this gave just $5, we could achieve our goal this month to fund reliable cancer information, compassionate support services and the most promising research. Please give today because every contribution counts. Thank you.