Different stages of Mesothelioma

November 24, 2009 by admin
Filed under Mesothelioma

This disease is categorized by four stages and depending on the stages the treatment varies. There are three system to identify these four stages and they are

• Butchart staging system
• TNM system
• Brigham system

Let us see the system Butchart staging in detail,

Butchart staging system:

This is one of the oldest systems but very popular among everyone as it is the common system being used everywhere. This divides the disease into four stages depending on the extent of tumor mass.

Stage I is nothing but the presence of mesothelioma in the left or right lung cavity and in the diaphragm. Stage II is the next level where it extends itself into the chest walls, esophagus, or lung lining. Third stage is where the mesothelioma moves past the diaphragm into the abdominal cavity. This stage has the chance to affect the lymph nodes moving past those in the chest. Fourth stage is the only stage which is evident to doctors as it spreads to other organs of the human body. This stage is expressed in technical terms as metastasis.

As the doctors could able to identify the final stage it is very difficult to diagnosis. Hence it is curable if it is identified in early stages through some of its symptoms.