Urethral Cancer Staging

The stage of cancer tells how much and how far the disease has spread. By using exams and tests, a doctor can tell the stage of a person's urethral cancer. A cancer's stage is one of the most important factors in deciding what treatment to have.

Urethral cancer is staged and treated based on the part of the urethra that is affected and how deeply the tumor has spread into tissue around the urethra. Urethral cancer can be described as anterior or posterior.

Anterior urethral cancer: In anterior urethral cancer, the tumors are not deep and they affect the part of the urethra that is closest to the outside of the body.

Posterior urethral cancer: In posterior urethral cancer, the tumors are deep and affect the part of the urethra closest to the bladder. In women, the entire urethra may be affected. In men, the prostate gland may be affected.

The following stages are also used to describe urethral cancer:

Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)

In stage 0, abnormal cells are found in the inside lining of the urethra. These abnormal cells may become cancer and may spread into nearby normal tissue. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ.

Stage A

In stage A, the cancer has spread into the layer of tissue beneath the lining of the urethra.

Stage B

In stage B, the cancer is found in the muscle around the urethra. In men, the penile tissue surrounding the urethra may be affected.

Stage C

In stage C, the cancer has spread beyond the tissue surrounding the urethra, and in women, it may be found in the vagina, vaginal lips, or nearby muscle; in men, it may be found in the penis or in nearby muscle.

Stage D

Stage D is divided into stage D1 and stage D2, based on where the cancer has spread.

In stage D1, the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes in the pelvis and groin.

In stage D2, the cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes or to other organs in the body, such as the lungs, liver, and bone.