After adult soft tissue sarcoma has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the soft tissue or to other parts of the body. The process used to find out if cancer has spread within the soft tissue or to other parts of the body is called staging. Staging of soft tissue sarcoma is also based on the grade and size of the tumor, whether it is superficial (close to the skin's surface) or deep, and whether it has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment.1
The following tests and procedures may be used in the staging process:
- Physical exam and history: An exam of the body to check general signs of health, including checking for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unusual. A history of the patient's health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.
- X-rays: An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body onto film, making pictures of areas inside the body.
- Laboratory tests: Medical procedures that test samples of tissue, blood, urine, or other substances in the body. These tests help to diagnose disease, plan and check treatment, or monitor the disease over time.
- CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside of the body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
The results of these tests are viewed together with the results of the tumor biopsies to determine the stage of the soft tissue sarcoma.
The following stages are used for adult soft tissue sarcoma:
Stage I
In stage I, the tumor is any size, low-grade (likely to grow and spread slowly), and may be either superficial (close to the skin's surface) or deep.
| Pea, peanut, walnut, and lime show tumor sizes.2 |
Stage II
In stage II, the tumor is high-grade (likely to grow and spread quickly) and either:
- 5 centimeters or smaller and can be superficial (close to the skin's surface) or deep; or
- larger than 5 centimeters and superficial.
Stage III
In stage III, the tumor is high-grade, larger than 5 centimeters, and deep.
Stage IV
In stage IV, the tumor is any size, any grade, and has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body.
1 Note: The text and images above are in the public domain and were reproduced or adapted from the websites of the National Cancer Institute (NCI): http://www.cancer.gov/ and http://visualsonline.cancer.gov/.
2 Image courtesy of Terese Winslow, Medical Illustrator, http://teresewinslow.com