Updated 2/23/2024: There is a system outage and certain functions, such as scheduling, may not be available today. We will call patients to schedule any upcoming appointments when the system is back online. Our clinics remain open and previously scheduled appointments will continue as planned. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Lip & Oral Cancer Staging

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.