Cancer staging

I did mention earlier that many Ugandans, as has been indicated even by the Uganda Cancer Institute, reach for care when the cancer has progressed to stage three or stage four.

So when doctors talk about cancer stages from stage one to stage four, what do those numbers mean for a patient's body? What is happening, for example, at stage one or stage three? And why is stage four particularly difficult to treat compared to an early diagnosis?

Thank you.

Very good question.

Lip slash ear slash temple location Thickness over 6mm or invasion beyond subcutaneous fat Poor differentiation Desmoplasia or lymphovascular invasion Perineural invasion Bone erosion Immunosuppression and positive margins Multiple risk factors matter more than any single one.

Staging-wise, low-risk CSCC needs examination only, no imaging.

Higher-risk tumours need nodal staging, preferably ultrasound or CT.

Suspected bone or soft tissue involvement needs CT or MRI.