Stage

Select the cancer's stage at diagnosis.

Multiple values may be selected when creating a table (you may need to hold down the Shift or Ctrl key). However, this menu may be limited to a single selection when creating a chart or map.

Staging is the classification system that groups cancer cases into broad categories according to how far the disease has spread from the site of origin at the time of diagnosis. Most cancers are staged with the SEER Summary Staging definitions (in situ, local, regional and distant). However lymphomas (including both Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's) are staged according to the Ann Arbor definitions (stage I, stage II and stage III/IV).

Depending on the primary site selected, the output will display the appropriate staging (SEER Summary or Ann Arbor).

Cancers are classified as in situ or malignant according to their behavior codes assigned with the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O), either the second or third revision (ICD-O-2 or ICD-O-3, respectively). All statistics in this dataset only include cancer types which were coded as in situ for both revisions or as malignant for both revisions. This was done to prevent changes in the coding guidelines from affecting trend analysis. The [behavior recode](https://seer.cancer.gov/behavrecode/) provided by the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program was used to determine which cancers to include.

Invasive
A total of all cancers staged as local, regional, distant or unstaged at diagnosis. Also include urinary bladder cancer in situ.
Note: Not available if Percent Staging Distribution is selected from the Rate/Ratio menu).
In situ
The cancer has not penetrated or spread beyond the basement membrane of the epithelial tissue involved.
Note: Not available for cervix uteri cancer or lymphomas.
Local
The cancer is confined entirely to the organ of origin.
Regional
The cancer extends beyond the original organ to nearby lymph nodes, organs or tissues.
Distant
The cancer extends to distant organs or distant lymph nodes.
Stage I
The lymphoma is located in a single lymph node region;
or the lymphoma is only located in a single extralymphatic organ (an organ which is not part of the lymphatic system);
or the lymphoma is only located in the spleen.
Stage II
The lymphoma is located in multiple lymph node regions on the same side of the diaphragm, possibly involving a single extralymphatic organ;
or the lymphoma is located in the spleen and either lymph nodes below the diaphragm or a single extralymphatic organ below the diaphragm.
Stage III/IV
The lymphoma is located in lymph nodes on both sides of the diaphragm;
or the lymphoma is located in the spleen and either lymph nodes above the diaphragm or a single extralymphatic organ above the diaphragm;
or the lymphoma is located in multiple extralymphatic organs.
Early
The combination of In situ, Local, Stage I, and Stage II.
Late
The combination of Regional, Distant, and Stage III/IV.
Unknown
Insufficient or no information available to determine stage.

Note: Because the selection All Cancers includes lymphomas and other cancers, the only possible stages for these records are Invasive, Early, Late, and Unknown.