Tumor Grading

Tumor grading, together with the stage of the tumor, assists doctors in planning treatment strategies. Tumor grading is an estimate of the tumor's malignancy and aggressiveness based on how the tumor cells appear under a microscope and the number of malignant characteristics they possess. Cancer cells are often undifferentiated and are termed primitive or anaplastic as they do not appear specialized like normal cells. There nuclei are also larger and irregular and there is also exhibit a large volume of dividing cells. While more than one scale is used depending upon the type of cancer, the following scale is commonly used:

• G1 Well-differentiated (Low-grade and less aggressive)

• G2 Moderately well-differentiated (Intermediate-grade and moderately aggressive)

• G3 Poorly differentiated (High-grade and moderately aggressive)

• G4 Undifferentiated (High-grade and aggressive)