Once cervical cancer is diagnosed, it is staged. Staging a cancer involves classifying the spread and extent of disease based on standardized guidelines. Knowing the stage of disease can help guide treatment options and prognosis. For cervical cancer, stages range from Stage 0, noninvasive cancer, to Stage IV, which is widespread disease. Stages III and IV signify advanced cervical cancer.
Stage IIIA
In Stage IIIA cervical cancer, the cancer has spread to the lower third of the vagina but has not reached the pelvic walls, according to the National Cancer Institute. The lymph nodes are not cancerous and the cancer has not spread to any distant organs. The American Cancer Society lists the survival rate for Stage IIIA cervical cancer as 35 percent.
Stage IIIB
There are two situations that can constitute Stage IIIB cervical cancer. The first situation is when the cancer has invaded the pelvic walls and/or has blocked one or both ureters, according to the American Cancer Society. The lymph nodes and distant organs are not cancerous. The other instance in which this stage can be diagnosed is when the cancer has invaded the lymph nodes in the pelvis, but not distant organs. The tumor may have spread to the pelvic walls and the lower part of the vagina. The survival rate for this stage of cervical cancer is 32 percent.
Stage IVA
Stage IVA cervical cancer describes cancer that has invaded either the bladder or rectum, but the lymph nodes are not involved. Organs that are distant from the pelvic area are not cancerous. The survival rate for this stage of cervical cancer is 16 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.
Stage IVB
This is the most advanced stage of cervical cancer and involves cancer that has spread to distant organs in the body away from the pelvic area such as the lungs. The survival rate for Stage IVB cervical cancer is 15 percent.
