sykdomsstadium

sukdomsstadium, literally “disease stage,” is a systematic classification of how far a disease has progressed in a patient. It describes the extent of pathology, organ involvement, and clinical severity at a given time and is used to guide treatment, estimate prognosis, and communicate findings among healthcare providers.

Staging is disease-specific. In cancer medicine, the TNM classification (tumor size/extent, nodal involvement, metastasis) is widely used and linked to stages I–IV that reflect increasing spread. Other conditions use different scales: chronic kidney disease is staged from 1 to 5 by estimated glomerular filtration rate, and many infectious diseases have stages such as incubation, prodromal, acute, and convalescent. Even within a disease, stages may evolve with treatment or natural history.

Determining the stage relies on clinical examination and diagnostic tests—imaging, biopsies, lab markers, and sometimes functional assessments. Stage informs prognosis and helps select treatment intensity, enrollment in trials, and follow-up plans. It is a snapshot and may change over time, particularly with effective therapy.

Limitations include variability in staging criteria, differences between guidelines, and limited accessibility to tests. Stages are estimations, not absolute boundaries. Staging should not be confused with grading, which assesses cellular appearance and aggressiveness, particularly in tumors.