Mesothelioma Lawyers

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1. Stage Information

Patients with stage I disease have a significantly better prognosis

than those

with more advanced stages. However, because of the relative rarity of this

disease, exact survival information based upon stage is limited. A proposed

staging system based upon thoracic surgery principles and clinical data is

shown below. It is a modif ication of the older

system proposed by Butchart

et al. Other staging systems that have been employed, including a proposed

new international TNM staging system, are summarized by the International

Mesothelioma Interest Group.

• Stage I: Disease confined within the capsule of the

  parietal pleura:
  

  ipsilateral pleura, lung, pericardium, and diaphragm.

• Stage II: All of stage I with positive intrathoracic

  (N1 or N2) lymph nodes.

• Stage III: Local extension of disease into the following:

  chest wall or
  

  mediastinum; heart or through the diaphragm, peritoneum; with or without
  

  extrathoracic or contralateral (N3) lymph node involvement.

• Stage IV: Distant metastatic disease.

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