Grade, stage, and biomarkers are different clues.

01 / GRADE

What do the cells and tissue look like?

Tumor grade describes how normal or abnormal cancer cells look under a microscope. A pathologist considers the appearance and organization of cells and tissue using a grading system appropriate for that cancer.

Grading systems vary. A grade is not a universal score that means exactly the same thing for every cancer.

02 / STAGE

How much cancer is present, and where is it?

Stage describes the extent of a cancer. Depending on the cancer, this may include the size or location of the main tumor, nearby lymph nodes, and whether cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.

TNM is a widely used staging framework, but it is not used in exactly the same way for every cancer. Some cancers use other systems.

03 / BIOMARKERS

Which biological signals can be measured?

Biomarker testing looks for genes, proteins, and other substances that can provide information about a cancer. Certain findings may help confirm a subtype, estimate behavior, or identify a treatment that is more likely—or less likely—to help.

Not every person needs the same tests, and a useful biomarker for one cancer may not be useful for another.

04 / PUTTING CLUES TOGETHER

No single label tells the complete story.

Clinical teams combine pathology, imaging, laboratory results, biomarker findings, health history, and other information. A person’s report may contain unfamiliar language, but a term taken alone cannot determine an individual outcome.

Grade describes appearance. Stage describes extent. Biomarkers describe measurable biology.