Staging

Staging is a way of describing a tumor, such as where it is located, if or where it has spread, and if it is affecting the functions of other organs in the body. Doctors use diagnostic tests to determine the tumor's stage, so staging may not be complete until all the tests are finished. Knowing the stage helps the doctor to decide what kind of treatment is best and can help predict a patient's prognosis (chance of recovery). For example, people with a smaller tumor may not need surgery, while many people with a larger tumor do. An islet cell tumor smaller than 2 centimeters (cm) in size acts as a benign tumor almost 100% of the time.

There is no standard staging system for an islet cell tumor, so the doctor will most likely classify the tumor into one of the following three groups:

• A tumor within the pancreas, but only occurring in one site
  
  
• A tumor within the pancreas, occurring in multiple sites
  
  
• A tumor that has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body