Pancreatic cancer

Stages, types and grades of pancreatic cancer

Stage means the size of the cancer and whether it has spread. The grade is how abnormal the cells look under a microscope. The type of pancreatic cancer means the type of cell it started from.

There are different ways of staging pancreatic cancer. There is the TNM system and the number staging system. And the number staging system which includes 4 stages. Knowing about the stage, type and grade of the pancreatic cancer helps your doctors decide about treatment.

Types of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer can start in the head, body or tail of the pancreas. There are different types of cells in the pancreas. Find out more about the different types.

TNM staging for pancreatic cancer

Doctors use the TNM staging system for pancreatic cancer to help decide on the best treatment for you. Find out what this means.

Stage 1 pancreatic cancer

Stage 1 pancreatic cancer can be divided into stage 1A and 1B. Find out what this means.

Stage 2 pancreatic cancer

Stage 2 pancreatic cancer can be divided into stage 2A and 2B. Find out what this means.

Stage 3 pancreatic cancer

Stage 3 pancreatic cancer means that the cancer is any size within the pancreas and has spread to 4 or more nearby lymph nodes. Find out what this means.

Stage 4 pancreatic cancer

Stage 4 means that the cancer has spread to other areas of the body, such as the liver or lungs. Find out what this means.

Grades of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer can be put into groups according to what the cells look like under the microscope. These are called grades. They give an idea of how a cancer might behave.

Last reviewed: 31 Mar 2023

Next review due: 31 Mar 2026