Staging Cancers of the Female Reproductive System*
Type |
Stage I |
Stage II |
Stage III |
Stage IV† |
|
Only in the cervix |
Spread outside the uterus (including the upper two thirds of the vagina and/or tissues outside the uterus) but still within the pelvis‡ |
Spread throughout the pelvis and/or to the lower third of the vagina and/or blocks the ureters and/or causes a kidney to malfunction and/or spreads to the lymph nodes near the aorta (the largest artery in the body) |
Spread outside the pelvis and/or to the bladder or rectum (A) or distant organs (B) |
|
|
Only in the upper part of the uterus (not in the cervix) |
Spread to the cervix but is still within the uterus |
Spread to nearby tissues, the vagina, or lymph nodes |
Spread to the bladder and/or intestine (A) and/or distant organs (B) |
|
|
Only in one or both fallopian tubes |
Spread to nearby tissues but still within the pelvis‡ |
Spread outside the pelvis to lymph nodes and/or to abdominal organs (such as the surface of the liver) |
Spread to distant organs |
|
|
Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (the form of gestational trophoblastic disease that is usually cancerous) |
Only in the uterus |
Spread outside the uterus to the ovary, fallopian tube, vagina, and/or ligaments that support the uterus |
Spread to the lungs |
Spread to more distant sites, such as the brain, liver, kidneys, and/or digestive tract |
|
Only in one or both ovaries or fallopian tubes |
Spread to the uterus or nearby tissues within the pelvis‡ |
Spread outside the pelvis to lymph nodes and/or to other parts of the abdomen (such as the surface of the liver or spleen) |
Spread outside the abdomen (for example, to the lungs) |
|
|
Only in the wall of the vagina |
Spread through the wall of the vagina to nearby tissues but still within the pelvis‡ |
Spread throughout the pelvis (but not the bladder or rectum) |
Spread to the bladder or rectum or outside of the pelvis |
|
|
Only in the vulva or the area between the opening of the rectum and vagina (perineum) |
Spread to nearby tissues (the lower part of the urethra or vagina or to the anus) but not to nearby lymph nodes |
Spread to nearby lymph nodes, with or without spread to nearby tissues |
Spread beyond nearby tissues to the bladder, the upper part of the vagina or urethra, the rectum, pelvic bone, more distant lymph nodes, or outside the pelvis |
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* Simplified from the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Staging System. |
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† Stage IV is sometimes further classified as A or B depending on where the cancer has spread. |
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‡ The pelvis refers to the lowest part of the torso, the area below the abdomen and between the hip bones. It contains the internal reproductive organs, bladder, and rectum. |
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