Staging
Staging is a process that tells the doctor if the cancer has spread and if it has, how far. The stage of a tumor is important in determining treatment options.
Stage I
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Description
- Cancer is in the adrenal gland only and tumor is 5 cm or less in diameter.
Treatment
- Surgery (adrenalectomy), and possibly removal of nearby lymph nodes.
Stage II
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Description
- Cancer is in the adrenal gland only and tumor is larger than 5 cm in diameter.
Treatment
- Surgery (adrenalectomy), and possibly removal of nearby lymph nodes.
Stage III
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Description
- Tumor may be any size and has spread to nearby tissues, fat, or lymph nodes, but has not spread to distant organs.
Treatment
- Surgery (adrenalectomy), and removal of nearby lymph nodes.
Stage IV
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Description
- Tumor may be any size but has spread to other organs (metastasis). The tumor itself may have invaded nearby tissue or lymph nodes.
Treatment
- Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, or clinical trials.
