Staging in Oncology

In oncology, staging refers to assessing how far a cancer has spread within the body. It helps determine the size of the tumor, whether it has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes, and if it has metastasized to distant organs. Staging is crucial for planning treatment and predicting outcomes. It typically uses a standardized system, like TNM (Tumor, Node, Metastasis), to classify the extent of disease, enabling healthcare providers to tailor the most appropriate approach for each patient.