Stages of Diagnosis

Stages of Diagnosis

Doctors describe cancers in terms of the stage at which cancer is detected. Doctors consider the following:

• Size of the tumor
• Location of the tumor
• Whether or not it has metastasized (spread) from the place where it started - it is invasive at this point.
• How far the tumor has spread to other parts of the body.

The cancer stages are in situ, local, regional, distant, and unknown. In situ means that the tumor has not spread and is not invasive.

Cancer diagnosed in the in situ and local stages have not spread and are better treated than cancers found in the regional and distant stages. Based on cases diagnosed between 2001 and 2005 in Virginia, 12% of cancers were diagnosed in situ and 39% were diagnosed local (Figure 1).

Figure 1 - Cancer Stage at Diagnosis, All Sites, Virginia, 2001-2005

Source: Virginia Cancer Registry.

Cancer Five-Year Survival

The five-year survival rate refers to the chance of being alive five years after being diagnosed.

The five-year survival rate for all cancers is 65%. For cancers that are preventable, or detected earlier through screening, the five-year survival rate is 85%.

The five-year survival rate can reach as high as 99%(for prostate cancer) when the cancer is diagnosed at the local stage (Source: National Cancer Institute, SEER Cancer Statistics, 1975-2005).

For full-version fact sheet (in PDF), click on Distribution of Cancers by Stage in Virginia.

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