What are the grades and stages of cervical cancer?

What are the grades of cervical cancer?

Grade 1 (low-grade)

The cancer cells look only slightly abnormal, much like normal cervical cells. The cancer is usually slow growing and less likely to spread than high-grade cervical cancer.

Grade 2 

The cancer cells look less like normal cells. The cancer is more likely to spread than low-grade cervical cancer.

Grade 3 (High-grade) 

The cancer cells look fairly or very abnormal and are more likely to grow quickly. Read more about types of cervical cancer.

What are the stages of cervical cancer?

Staging means finding out how big the cancer is and if it has spread to other parts of your body. Staging will help your doctor to plan the best treatment for you.

The most common system used by doctors to stage cervical cancer is called the FIGO system. With the FIGO system, the stages of cervical cancer are numbered I (1) to IV (4). Each number stage is further divided using the letters A, B and C. The higher the letter and number within each stage, the more advanced the disease. In general, the lower the number, the less the cancer has spread. Your doctor will explain what exactly your stage means

Stage I (1)

The cancer cells are on the surface of the cervix and have not invaded the deep tissue of the cervix.

Stage IA: The cancer growth is very small (up to 5mm).

Stage IB: The cancer has grown into the tissues of the cervix but has not spread beyond. 

Stage II (2)

The cancer has started to spread beyond the neck of the uterus to nearby tissues.

Stage IIA: The cancer is in the upper part of the vagina but has not spread up into the uterus

Stage IIB: Cancer cells have spread into the tissue at the side of the cervix, but have not grown into the wall of the pelvis.

Stage III (3)

The cancer has spread further away from the cervix. It has moved into the lower part of the vagina and to the side wall of the pelvis.

Stage IIIA: The cancer has spread to the lower third of the vagina, but not the pelvic wall.

Stage IIIB: The cancer has spread to the pelvic wall.

Stage IIIC: The cancer has spread to the pelvic and abdominal lymph nodes.

Stage IV (4)

Cancer cells have spread to other body organs (metastasis).

Stage IVA: The cancer has spread to nearby organs, such as the bladder or back passage (rectum).

Stage IVB: The cancer has spread to distant organs, such as the lungs.

We have more detailed information on the stages of cervical cancer.