women s health issues
Overview of Female Reproductive System Cancers
Staging
If cancer is diagnosed, one or more procedures may be done to determine the stage of the cancer. The stage is based on how large the cancer is and how far it has spread. Some commonly used procedures include ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), chest x-rays, and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) (PET). Doctors often determine the stage of cancer after they remove the cancer and biopsy the surrounding tissues, including lymph nodes. Staging a cancer helps doctors choose the best treatment. For all gynecologic cancers, stages range from I (the earliest) to IV (advanced). For most cancers, further distinctions, designated by letters of the alphabet, are made within stages. 