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Grading (tumors)
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<p>In <a href="/facts/Pathology/U9b18LJG">pathology</a>, grading is a measure of the cell appearance in <a href="/facts/Tumor/K0ytzmPz">tumors</a> and other <a href="/facts/Neoplasm/K0ytzmPz">neoplasms</a>. Some pathology grading systems apply only to <a href="/facts/Malignant/L03QLSbE">malignant</a> neoplasms (<a href="/facts/Cancer/PVW6n1D0">cancer</a>); others apply also to <a href="/facts/Benign/Xu5F9mRh">benign</a> neoplasms. The neoplastic grading is a measure of cell <a href="/facts/Anaplasia/ujXqPNvw">anaplasia</a> (reversion of <a href="/facts/Cellular_differentiation/bCVqUG7w">differentiation</a>) in the sampled tumor and is based on the resemblance of the tumor to the tissue of origin. Grading in cancer is distinguished from <a href="/facts/Cancer_staging/d2cFsCtq">staging</a>, which is a measure of the extent to which the cancer has <a href="/facts/Metastasis/4dadbm6z">spread</a>. </p><p>Pathology grading systems classify the microscopic cell appearance abnormality and deviations in their rate of growth with the goal of predicting developments at tissue level (see also the 4 major histological changes in <a href="/facts/Dysplasia/sR1UKrbB">dysplasia</a>). </p><p>Cancer is a disorder of <a href="/facts/Cell_cycle/nLMT7K4r">cell life cycle</a> alteration that leads (non-trivially) to excessive <a href="/facts/Cell_proliferation/Jp3hWo2t">cell proliferation</a> rates, typically longer cell lifespans and poor differentiation. The grade score (numerical: G1 up to G4) increases with the lack of cellular differentiation - it reflects how much the tumor cells differ from the cells of the normal tissue they have originated from (see 'Categories' below). Tumors may be graded on four-tier, three-tier, or two-tier scales, depending on the institution and the tumor type. </p><p>The <a href="/facts/Histology/yrI90zlU">histologic</a> tumor grade score along with the <a href="/facts/Metastasis/4dadbm6z">metastatic</a> (whole-body-level cancer-spread) staging are used to evaluate each specific cancer patient, develop their individual treatment strategy and to predict their prognosis. A cancer that is very poorly differentiated is called <i><a href="/facts/Anaplastic/ujXqPNvw">anaplastic</a></i>. </p>