The lower area of the uterus is called the cervix, and cervical cancer typically starts in the cells lining the cervix. Cervical cancer is often slow-growing, and Pap tests help monitor any changes in these cells. Staging is a standardized way of classifying the spread and extent of cancer and helps to guide treatment plans and prognosis. Early stages of cervical cancer include Stage 0, Stage I and Stage II cancers.
Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)
Stage 0, also called carcinoma in situ, is the earliest form of cervical cancer. In this stage, the abnormal cells are found only in the surface layer of the cervix. They have not yet reached deeper tissues in the cervix.
Stage I
Stage I cervical cancer has two substages, Stage IA and IB. In both substages, no lymph nodes are cancerous and the cancer has not spread to distant organs in the body. There are also two classifications in each sub-stage.
Stage IA1 describes cancer that is less than 3 mm deep and less than 7 mm across; Stage IA2 is diagnosed when the cancer is between 3 and 5 mm deep and less than 7 mm across. In both stages of Stage IA, the cancer can only be seen while under a microscope.
Stage IB cervical cancer is diagnosed when the cancer can only be seen microscopically but is more than 5 mm deep or more than 7 mm wide. If the cancer is grossly visible, it is further divided into stages IB1 and IB2. Stage IB1 consists of cervical cancer that is less than 4 cm; Stage IB2 is more than 5 cm.
Stage II
Stage II cervical cancer has spread past the cervix but has not reached the pelvic wall or the lower third of the vagina, according to the National Cancer Institute. Stage IIA consists of cancer that has spread to the first two-thirds of the vagina but is not found in the areas around the uterus. In Stage IIB, the cancer is not only in the upper two-thirds of the vagina, but has also spread to the tissues surrounding the uterus.
