Esophageal cancer stages and tests

Esophageal cancer stages is help to found whether the cancer has spread organs in where parts of the body. The common stages of esophageal cancer is based on the TNM system. "T" is the size of the tumor and where it has spread within the esophagus. "N" is cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes. "M" is that whether the cancer spread to distant organs.

Esophageal cancer T Stages
T1: The tumor is only in lining of the esophagus.
T2: The tumor has moved into the layer of muscles in the esophageal wall.
T3: The tumor has advanced through the entire esophageal wall.
T4: The tumor has affected nearby tissues.

Esophageal cancer N Stages
N0: no spread to nearby lymph nodes
N1: spread to nearby lymph nodes

Esophageal cancer M Stages
M0: no spread to distant organs
M1a: spread to distant lymph nodes
M1b: spread to distant organs

Stage 0: This stage is carcinoma in situ, meaning that cancer cells are limited to the epithelium. The cancer does not invade the connective tissue beneath the epithelium. there is no spread of cancer below the surface into lymph nodes or to distant sites.

Stage I: esophageal cancer has invaded from the epithelium into the lamina propria or the submucosa. The cancer has not grown any deeper and has not spread to lymph nodes or to distant sites.

Stage II: Cancer invades into or through the muscle of the wall of the esophagus, but not into local structures (IIA). When there is regional lymph node involvement with any extent of primary cancer but no invasion of local structures, this is called stage IIB.

Stage III: cancer has spread to the outer wall of the esophagus and may have spread to tissues or lymph nodes near the esophagus.

Stage IV: The cancer has spread to distant sites.
Stage IVA: Cancer has spread to nearby or distant lymph nodes.
Stage IVB: Cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes and/or organs in other parts of the body.

Determine stages of Esophageal Cancer need to use some tests include Bronchoscopy, Laryngoscopy, EUS, Thoracoscopy, Laparoscopy, PET scan and more.

Bronchoscopy: Can test lungs and help to identifying involvement of the trachea when the primary cancer is located in esophagus upper part.

Laryngoscopy: A procedure in which the doctor examines the larynx (voice box) with a mirror or with a thin, lighted tube.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS): an endoscope is inserted into the body. The endoscope is used to bounce high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) off internal tissues or organs and make echoes.

Thoracoscopy: showed the organs inside the chest to check for abnormal areas. An incision (cut) is made between two ribs and a thoracoscope is inserted into the chest. Tissue samples and lymph nodes may be removed for biopsy.

Laparoscopy: Laparoscopy involves the insertion of an endoscope through a small incision in the abdomen. Laparscopy is important for staging in detecting spread of cancer to the liver and the lining of the abdomen.

PET scan： injects a small amount of a radioactive tracer such as glucose. PET scan is to find malignant tumor cells in the body.