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General: Once a diagnosis of cervical cancer is confirmed, the healthcare provider will determine how much the cancer has spread. Treatment options and prognosis vary depending on the stage of the disease. This process is called staging. The International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) system is usually used to stage cervical cancer. Stage 0: Early cancer cells that are restricted to a very local area are present in the layer of cells that line the cervix. This type of cancer is called carcinoma in situ. These cells are non–invasive because they have not invaded healthy tissues. Stage I: The cancer has spread into the deeper tissues of the cervix, called the connective tissue. The cancer is limited to the uterus.
![]() | Stage IA: There is a very small cancerous area that is only visible with a microscope. ![]() | Stage IA1: The area containing cancer cells is less than 3mm deep and 7mm wide. ![]() | Stage IA2: The area containing cancer cells is 3–5mm deep and less than 7mm wide. ![]() | Stage IB: The cancer can be seen without a microscope, or it is deeper than 5mm or wider than 7mm. ![]() | Stage IB1: The cancer is no larger than 4cm. ![]() | Stage IB2: The cancer is larger than 4cm. Stage II: The cancer has spread from the cervix, but it is confined to the pelvic region (tissues surrounding the uterus). If treated, between 70–90% of patients who are diagnosed with Stage II cervical cancer will survive at least five years.
![]() | Stage IIA: The cancer has not spread into the uterus, but it may have spread down into upper region of the vagina. However, cancer is not present in the lower one–third of the vagina. ![]() | Stage IIB: The cancer has spread to the parametrial tissue (narrow, outer end of the uterus), which is adjacent to the cervix. Stage III: The cancer has spread to the lower one–third of the vagina, or it has entered the wall of the pelvis and may be blocking the ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder). If treated, between 30–50% of patients who are diagnosed with stage III cervical cancer survive at least five years.
![]() | Stage IIIA: The cancer has spread to the lower vagina, but it is not present in the pelvic wall ![]() | Stage IIIB: The cancer has spread to the pelvic wall and/or is blocking the flow of urine through the ureters to the bladder. Stage IV: Stage IV cervical cancer is the most advanced stage. During this stage, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Between 15–30% of women who have stage IV cervical cancer survive at least five years after diagnosis.
![]() | Stage IVA: The cancer has spread to the bladder or rectum. ![]() | Stage IVB: The cancer has spread to distant organs, such as the lungs. Recurrent: After cancer treatment is completed, the cancer has returned to the cervix or another part of the body.
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