Rectal Cancer Staging

Rectal Cancer Stages

The first important step in determining the most appropriate rectal cancer treatments for you is to stage the disease. Staging determines the extent to which the cancer penetrates the various tissue layers in the rectum. When rectal cancer is properly staged, your doctor has a clearer picture of where the cancer exists in your body.

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), our cancer doctors create a customized rectal cancer treatment plan for you based upon the stage and progression of your rectal cancer, as well as other factors.

Properly staging rectal cancer requires the knowledge of a gastroenterologist (who is familiar with intestinal diseases), a surgical oncologist (cancer surgeon), and a pathologist (who is able to analyze the structure of your rectal cancer cells).

At CTCA, a surgical oncologist will first remove tissue samples during biopsy or surgery. This enables a CTCA pathologist to closely examine your tissue samples and to document cell structure, tumor size, and evidence of lymph node involvement. Based on these findings, your CTCA care team will be able to determine your rectal cancer stage and help you decide which rectal cancer treatments best suit your needs.

Rectal cancer stages are based on Roman numerals 0 - IV. Typically, the lower the number, the less advanced the rectal cancer (the less it has spread); a higher number means a more serious cancer. Different stages of rectal cancer require different treatments.

Additional Rectal Cancer Information

• Detection
• Treatments
• Staging
• Metastatic
• Pain Management
• Alternative Treaments

Next Topic: Metastatic Rectal Cancer