Stages of Cervical Cancer

What are the stages of the disease?

Doctors describe Cervical Cancer in different stages in order to describe how far it has spread.

Stage 0: The cancer exists only in the first layer of cells over the cervix. Cancer has not attacked deeper cervical tissues. Stage 0 may also be called CIN 3, carcinoma in situ, and noninvasive cancer.

Stage I: Cancer cells have attacked deeper tissues, but only in the cervix. Stage 1 is divided into Stage IA and Stage IB depending upon how much cancer is found.

Stage IA: Cancer cells have not gone deeper than 3 to 5 millimeters (approximately ¼ inch) or spread beyond an area that is 3 to 5 millimeters wide. Stage IA is also called microinvasive cancer.

Stage IB: Cancer cells have gone deeper and wider than the dimensions listed in Stage IA. However, the spread of cells is still only in the cervix.

Stage II: Cancer cells have gone past the cervix. However, the cancer has not reached the lower vagina or the pelvis wall. Stage II is divided into two subcategories, Stage IIA and Stage IIB.

Stage IIA: Cancer cells have reached the upper vagina but not the tissues around the vagina or cervix.

Stage IIB: Cancer cells have extended sideways to tissues around the cervix.

Stage III: Cervical Cancer is more advanced in Stage III. Cancer has reached the lower vagina or to either close lymph nodes or the wall of the pelvis or both. Stage III is divided into two subcategories, Stage IIIA and Stage IIIB.

Stage IIIA: Cancer cells have spread to the lower vagina.

Stage IIIB: Cancer has reached close lymph nodes or the wall of the pelvis or both and/or the tumor has become large enough to block the ureters (ureters are tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder).

Stage IV: Cancer cells have spread to the bladder, rectum, or other areas of the body. Stage IV is divided into two subcategories, Stage IVA and Stage IVB.

Stage IVA: Cancer has reached the bladder or rectum or both.

Stage IVB: Cancer has spread beyond the pelvis to other areas of the body, such as the abdomen, liver, or lungs.