Home
About Us
Media
Events
Get Care
Call us at
Contact Details
Determining Its Stages
What is
Staging?
Staging is a way to measure the spread of a cancer. The later the stage, the greater the risk of recurrence of the cancer. This gives your doctor a way to predict your risks and to advise if further treatment is required.
Identifying the stage and extent of the cancer goes a long way in predicting outcomes and determining future treatment plans.
Most treatments are based on the TNM system. T is for tumour, and it is giving a number of 1 to 4 depending on the depth
of invasion of the tumour at the wall of the colon or rectum. N is nodal status and is given based on the number of
affected lymph nodes around the region. N0 is given when none of the surrounding lymph nodes are affected.
The greater the number of affected nodes, the larger the N number (0,1 or 2). M stands for metastasis. This means that
the cancer has spread to distant organs. M0 means no metastasis and M1 means it has spread. M1 almost always equates to
a stage 4 cancer. Various combinations of the T, N and M stage will give the actual stage of the disease.
| AJCC Stage | TNM stage | TNM stage criteria for colorectal cancer |
| Stage I | T1 N0 M0 | T1: Tumor invades submucosa |
| Stage I | T2 N0 M0 | T2: Tumor invades muscularis propria |
| Stage II-A | T3 N0 M0 | T3: Tumor invades subserosa or beyond (without other organs involved) |
| Stage II-B | T4 N0 M0 | T4: Tumor invades adjacent organs or perforates the visceral peritoneum |
| Stage III-A | T1-2 N1 M0 | N1: Metastasis to 1 to 3 regional lymph nodes. T1 or T2. |
| Stage III-B | T3-4 N1 M0 | N1: Metastasis to 1 to 3 regional lymph nodes. T3 or T4. |
| Stage III-C | any T, N2 M0 | N2: Metastasis to 4 or more regional lymph nodes. Any T. |
| Stage IV | any T, any N, M1 | M1: Distant metastases present . Any T , any N. |
Our clinic is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer.
Once the stage has been determined, we will ensure the patient is well taken care of with his or her best interests in mind.
Cancer staging is accurate only after removal of the cancer. It is not possible to tell the stage of a cancer at the
time of colonoscopy. This is because a colonoscopy only allows
your doctor to see the inside of your colon and will not be able to see the lymph nodes nor other organs such as the
liver or lung.
CT scans will be able to tell if there is or is not metastasis (the M stage). It is not sensitive enough to tell the status of the lymph nodes. Hence, if there is no spread to the liver or lung in the scan, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that it is not a stage 4 cancer.
CT scans will be able to tell if there is or is not metastasis (the M stage). It is not sensitive enough to tell the status of the lymph nodes. Hence, if there is no spread to the liver or lung in the scan, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that it is not a stage 4 cancer.
Read on for More Information on Colorectal Cancer:
click to read more
Our Colorectal Cancer
Surgeon
Surgeon
Our Colorectal Cancer
Surgeon
Dr Ho Kok Sun
Colorectal & General Surgeon
MBBS (Singapore),
M Med (Gen Surg) (Singapore),
FRCSEd (Gen Surg), FAMS
Dr Ho Kok Sun has been committed to treating colorectal cancer in Singapore for over a decade. He was the past President
of the ASEAN Society of Colorectal Surgeons and the Society of Colorectal Surgeons (Singapore), as well as a founding
member of the Eurasian Colorectal Technologies Association. Dr Ho was actively involved in the training of medical
students and residents, and has published widely in reputable journals and book chapters. He believes that treatment
should always be personalised to the patient’s needs.
Better Care.
Constant Support.
Thank you for choosing Ho Kok Sun Colorectal.
Kindly fill up the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Kindly fill up the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Our care team will be here for you before, during, and after your procedure. We strive to provide the highest quality of surgical care to our patients in a caring, compassionate, and respectful manner to ensure your healthy recovery.
Ho Kok Sun Colorectal
Colorectal Surgeon
3 Mount Elizabeth,
Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre
#12-09, Singapore 228510
Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre
#12-09, Singapore 228510
| Tel | : (+65) 6737 2778 |
| Fax | : (+65) 6737 2389 |
| : hokoksuncolorectal@gmail.com |
| Mon - Fri | : 9am - 1pm, 2pm - 5pm |
| Sat | : 9am - 1pm |
| Closed | : Sunday, Public Holiday |
Website maintained by Activa Media. All rights reserved.