Early stages of pancreatic cancer will many times show no signs or symptoms. If you have a family history of pancreatic cancer you will need to learn all you can about this subtle disease. You can follow along in this article as we talk about the stages of pancreatic cancer.
The first of the stages of pancreatic cancer is somewhat of a “non stage” and is classified as “stage 0″. This is where precancerous abnormal cells are developing in the pancreas. This stage is classified by the medical industry under another name called “in situ” which means “in place”. Later, these abnormal cells can mutate ( change ) into cancerous cells and spread into nearby healthy tissue. This stage is the first of the five stages of pancreatic cancer.
Stage I is next in the stages of pancreatic cancer and has an “A” level and a “B” level. If the cancer tumor is two centimeters or less the classification is “A”. If the cancer tumor has exceeded two centimeters, the level is called “B”. The size of the tumor is the the basic identifier for this category. The stage I cancer tumor is restricted to the pancreas only and will not have spread to other nearby organs or tissue.
The next in the stages of pancreatic cancer is stage II. This stage is defined by the spread or metastasizing of the cancer to other nearby tissues or organs. This stage II has been divided up into two further categories; stage IIa and stage IIb. Stage IIa is characterized by the invading of other tissues or organs but not including lymph glands. Stage IIb is where the cancer has both spread into nearby tissues and into the closer lymph nodes. Cancer uses the lymph nodes many times to spread its influence to other areas of the body.
Stage III is next in the stages of pancreatic cancer and is a large step into the advancement of this cancer. Stage III is defined by the spread of the pancreatic cancer into the blood vessels and perhaps also into the lymph nodes. This is the simple definition of this stage in pancreatic cancer.
The ultimate of the stages of pancreatic cancer is stage IV. This cancer can be large or small but it has invaded other regions that are no longer near the pancreas. It may be in the lymphatic system, it may be in the lungs or stomach, but it has become such an influence as to become a truly major health hazard.
A person with pancreatic cancer may go through many of the stages of pancreatic cancer and not know it. The pancreas is an organ that is deep within the body, behind the stomach. A regular physical exam will more than likely not discover any pancreatic cancer in the early stages. Ironically this is the most opportune time to find this insidious disease. Keep aware of your body and be careful to maintain a regular weight. This can help fight many things, including the onslaught of any of the stages of pancreatic cancer.