Tumor grade
The grade of a tumor expresses how fast it grows, its aggressiveness.
Grade scale goes from G1 to G4:
- Low grade tumors: G1- G2
- High-grade tumors: G3 - G4
Grade 3 and 4 tumors tend to grow rapidly and spread faster than lower grade tumors.
The lower the grade, the less aggressive the tumor
This classification is used by doctors to fine-tune the treatment to each individual case. For example, among same stage tumors, higher grade ones will probably need a more aggressive treatment.
The grade of a tumor is determined by observing its cells under the microscope to identify its features; how the tumors cells look and act determines the tumor grade, the more different they are from normal cells, the higher the grade.
