What are the stages of malignant mesothelioma?
Malignant mesothelioma moves through four stages, each one more advanced than the next. Your doctor will probably determine at what stage the cancer is, a process called staging, because each stage requires a different variation of treatment.Stage I: The cancerous growth is found in the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen.Stage II: The mesothelioma has moved to this stage when it goes from the lining into the lymph nodes.Stage III: The cancer has spread into the chest wall, center of the chest, heart, diaphragm or stomach.Stage IV: The most advanced stage is when the mesothelioma has spread into organs that are not part of the lung, heart or abdominal systems, such as the liver, pancreas or colon.
