Fourth stage cancer: what it means – breaking latest news

In the case of the kidney, «stage 4» can generally mean that the tumor cells have infiltrated tissues beyond the fibrous tunic surrounding the organ, also affecting the adrenal gland (gland located above the kidney), and/or have reached two or more lymph nodes and/or other organs.

In general, when we speak of “stage” in the case of tumors we are referring to classification systems that substantially take into account the size and diffusion of the tumor (in lymph nodes and/or at a distance, in other organs). The most classic staging system is the so-called TNM system, where T stands for size, N for the situation of the nearby lymph nodes, M for the presence of metastases.

In detail, the TNM system for kidney cancer provides: T1a: tumor up to 4 cm in diameter and confined to the kidney; T1b: tumor 4-7 cm in diameter and confined to the kidney; T2a: tumor 7-10 cm in diameter, but still confined to the kidney; T2b: tumor larger than 10 cm in diameter, but still confined to the kidney; T3: tumor extending to the fatty tissue surrounding the kidney but not beyond the fibrous tunic that covers this fat pad or to the renal vein or vena cava;T4: Tumor extending to the adrenal gland or beyond the fibrous tunic surrounding the kidney. N0: undamaged lymph nodes, i.e. there are cancer cells; N1: tumor cells present in a single regional lymph node; N2: tumor cells present in more than one regional lymph node; M0: no metastases are present; M1: metastases are present.