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SEER Training Modules
11/27/12 - The NCI is working on updating materials.

Quiz: Summary Staging

  1. Summary staging has also been called General Staging, California Staging, and SEER Staging.
  2. Since summary staging is used frequently in cancer registries, it is widely understood by physicians.
  3. An intraepithelial, noninvasive, or non-infiltrating cancer is described as"in situ," which is a Latin term meaning "invasive."
  4. An in situ diagnosis can be simply made by observation. Thus, a biopsy procedure is not necessary.
  5. Generally, a cancer begins in the rapidly dividing cells of the epithelium.
  6. A localized cancer has not only penetrated the basement membrane of the tissue, but also spread beyond the organ in which it started.
  7. A regional tumor extends beyond the limits of the organ of origin without being distant and it is the most difficult stage to properly identify.
  8. According to the general guidelines of Summary Stage, gross observations at surgery are particularly important when all malignant tissue is not removed. In the event of a discrepancy between pathology and operative reports concerning excised tissue, priority is given to the pathology report.
  9. Only carcinomas have a basement membrane, so sarcomas are never capable of being in situ.
  10. In the process of staging, a corresponding numerical code is assigned to each group defined by the summary staging system. Since there are five main categories in the summary staging system, only five numerical codes are used for the stage code assignment.