Disease Stages
Patients with stage I disease have a significantly better prognosis than those with more advanced stages. However, because of the relative rarity of this disease, exact survival information based upon stage is limited. The following is aproposed staging system based on clinical data:
Stage I:
Disease confined within the capsule of the parietal pleura: ipsilateral
pleura, lung, pericardium, and diaphragm.
Stage II:
All of stage I with positive intrathoracic (N1 or N2) lymph nodes.
Stage III:
Local extension of disease into the following: chest wall or mediastinum;
heart or through the diaphragm, peritoneum; with or without extrathoracic
or contralateral (N3) lymph node involvement.
Stage IV: Distant metastatic disease.