At its earliest stage (stage 0), colon cancer is limited to the inner lining of your colon. As colon cancer progresses, it can grow through your colon and extend to nearby structures. The most advanced stage of colon cancer (stage IV) indicates cancer has spread to other areas of the body, such as the liver or lungs.
It helps determine how serious the cancer is and how best to treat it. Doctors also use a cancer’s stage when talking about survival statistics. The earliest stage colorectal cancers are called stage 0 (a very early cancer), and then range from stages I (1) through IV (4). As a rule, the lower the number, the less the cancer has spread.
After someone is diagnosed with colorectal doctors will try to figure out if it has spread, and if so, how far. This process is called staging. The stage of a cancer describes how much cancer is in the body.
Colon Cancer Stage Image
