What are the different stages of kidney cancer?
The most commonly used staging system for kidney cancer was developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). The most current version is the 2002 AJCC Staging System. This staging system includes the extent of the primary kidney tumor (T stage), the status of lymph nodes near the kidney (N stage) and the presence or absence of metastases (M stage). In kidney cancer, the lymph nodes near the kidney are referred to as regional lymph nodes. Clinical stage is based on radiographic imaging before surgery, whereas pathologic stage is based on the analysis of surgically removed tissue. Staging the cancer helps predict prognosis and survival. In general, cancers with higher T stage, lymph node metastasis, or distant metastasis have a worse prognosis and shorter survival rates, and these patients need to consider more aggressive treatments. Grade: Tumor grade is a subjective measure of how aggressive the tumor looks under the microscope; therefore, it is determined from a surgical sp
