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A determination of the extent of a newly diagnosed cancer. Mainly, is the cancer still localized to the organ of origin or has it spread, and how far? Each type of cancer has its own staging criteria. A commonly used staging system in gynecology (FIGO) assigns the cancer to one of four stages. Stage I refers to a cancer localized to the site of origin. Stage II is a cancer that has spread into adjacent tissue. Stage III cancers have spread within the region. Stage IV indicates distant spread or involvement of another organ system. There are usually substages for each of the four common stages.
The official staging system used by cancer registries is the TNM system. T indicates the status of the primary tumor and is subdivided into T1, T2, T3 and T4, depending on the size and extent of the primary tumor. N indicates the status of the regional lymph nodes and is subdivided into Nx, No, N1, and N2. M indicates distant metastases, Mo-none, M1, - present. Some cancers are assigned a stage by examination and x-ray tests. Others require a surgical exploration. Staging is important because it indicates the appropriate treatment, allows evaluation of treatment results, and can compare results from different types of treatment.

FIGO and TNM staging systmes are cross-referenced by most pathologists and cancer registries.