Stages, types and grades for mouth and oropharyngeal cancer
The stage of mouth or oropharyngeal cancer tells you how big it is and whether it has spread. There are different ways of staging mouth or oropharyngeal cancer. There is the TNM system and the number staging system. The number staging system includes 4 stages – from stage 1 to stage 4.
The type tells you which type of cell the cancer started in. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.
Doctors stage mouth cancers differently to oropharyngeal cancers. Mouth cancers start in different parts of the mouth, including the lips, gums or soft sides of the mouth. Oropharyngeal cancer starts in the oropharynx which is the part of the throat (pharynx) just behind the mouth. It includes tonsil cancer and cancer in the back part of the tongue.
Types of mouth and oropharyngeal cancers
Most mouth and oropharyngeal cancers are squamous cell cancers. But there are less common types.
TNM stages for mouth cancer
TNM stands for tumour, node and metastases. It is one of the staging systems doctors use for mouth cancer.
Number stages and grades of mouth cancer
There are 4 main stages in this system (stage 1 - 4). Some doctors also use stage 0.
Stages and grades of oropharyngeal cancer
Oropharyngeal cancer starts in the part of the throat (pharynx) just behind the mouth. It includes tonsil cancer and cancer in the back part of the tongue.
