Staging

What are Merkel cell carcinoma "stages"?

MCC is divided into three stages depending on the severity of disease  The stage at diagnosis is a major determinant of the chance for spread (metastasis), treatment options and chance for recovery (prognosis).

Staging

If the biopsy shows that you have cancer, your doctor needs to know the extent (stage) of the disease. In very few cases, the doctor may check your lymph nodes to stage the cancer.

The stage is based on:

  • · The size of the growth
  • · How deeply it has grown beneath the top layer of skin
  • · Whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body

MCC Stages.:

  • Stage I MCC is defined as disease that is localized to the skin at the primary site.
  • Stage I is further divided into stage IA if the primary lesion is less than or equal to 2 centimeters and stage IB if the primary lesion is greater than 2 cm.
  • Stage II is defined as disease that involves nearby lymph nodes (regional lymph nodes).
  • Stage III disease is found beyond regional lymph nodes.

 

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