Lip & Oral Cancer Staging

For oral cancer, Stages I and II are combined and classified as “early cancer”. Stages III and IV are classified as “advanced cancer.” Here are the details of each class:

Early Cancer

Stage I or II oral cancer is usually a small tumor (smaller than a walnut), and no cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes.

Advanced Cancer

Stage III or IV oral cancer is usually a large tumor (as big as a lime). The cancer may have invaded nearby tissues or spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body.