Stage I Mesothelioma

When determining the extent and nature of any kind of cancer - which in turn, plays a large part in designing an appropriate course of treatment - oncologists use a rubric or "staging" system. This is only one of the criteria by which malignancies are classified, the first of which is determined by the location of the tumor and the third of which is determined by the cellular structure (or lack thereof).

Staging assists the oncologist in determining how far the cancer has advanced and how treatable the patient's malignancy really is.

Although there are three distinct staging systems currently in use, all three are based on four primary stages:

• The tumor is confined to one organ or region and is relatively small.
• The tumor has grown in size, and has spread to one other tissue.
• The tumor has spread to adjacent areas.
• The tumor has spread to distant areas of the body, or "metastasized."

In Stage I, mesothelioma is localized and confined to one area of the body.

Butchart System

This is the oldest system used by oncologists, and is used only for patients diagnosed with the pleural variety of mesothelioma. In Stage I under the Butchart System, the tumor is relatively small and confined to one side of the lung cavity; it may also be present on the diaphragm on the same side.

TNM System

TNM stands for Tumor, Lymph Nodes, and Metastasis. This is a newer method which is usually employed for staging malignant pleural mesothelioma, although it is also used for the peritoneal type as well.

Under this system, the cancer is located on one side or the other, and may also be present on the diaphragm as well as the pericardium (lining of the heart). It is however not present in the lymph nodes.

Brigham System

This is the newest staging system, which was developed especially for use in cases of mesothelioma. Under Stage I of the Brigham system, the cancer is operable and lymph nodes remain unaffected.

Prognosis

The main problem for mesothelioma patients is that historically, their condition is not detected until it has reached Stage III or IV - by which time it is too late to offer anything other than palliative treatments.

One ray of hope lies in the new MESOMARK™ diagnostic test recently approved for use in the U.S. by the FDA. This test was developed by a Japanese biotech firm and is reportedly able to detect the early biological markers of mesothelioma when it is most treatable. When the disease is caught at Stage I, the cancerous tissue can usually be removed surgically; radiation and chemotherapy treatments are used to follow up in order to get rid of any traces of malignancy.