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Cancer Explained
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Cancer Explained in diagrams

Some cancer distinctions are easier to see than to read. These original diagrams explain common confusions in plain language. Every diagram has a full text description, works in black and white, and can be reused with attribution to Cancer Explained. They explain concepts in general and do not interpret an individual’s situation.

Stage vs. grade

Stage versus gradeTwo independent scales. Stage measures how far cancer has spread, from confined to widely spread. Grade measures how abnormal the cells look under a microscope, from close to normal to very abnormal.Stage: how far it has spreadConfined (I)Nearby (II–III)Distant (IV)Grade: how abnormal the cells lookLow (near normal)IntermediateHigh (very abnormal)Stage and grade are measured separately — a cancer can be low stage but high grade, or the reverse.
Stage vs. grade. Two separate scales — one for spread, one for how the cells look.
Text description of this diagram
  • Stage measures how far a cancer has spread: confined (stage I), nearby tissue or lymph nodes (stage II–III), or distant parts of the body (stage IV).
  • Grade measures how abnormal the cells look under a microscope: low (close to normal), intermediate, or high (very abnormal).
  • They are measured separately. A cancer can be low stage but high grade, or high stage but low grade.

Based on National Cancer Institute patient education on cancer staging and tumor grade. Diagram by Cancer Explained. Read the full explanation

Local, regional & distant spread

Local, regional, and distant spreadThree panels showing cancer confined to its origin (local), reaching nearby lymph nodes (regional), and appearing in a distant organ (distant, also called metastatic).LocalOnly where it startedRegionalNearby tissue or lymph nodesDistantOther parts of the body
Local, regional & distant spread. How doctors describe where a cancer has reached.
Text description of this diagram
  • Local: cancer is only where it started.
  • Regional: cancer has reached nearby tissue or lymph nodes.
  • Distant (metastatic): cancer has appeared in other parts of the body.

Based on National Cancer Institute descriptions of local, regional, and distant spread. Diagram by Cancer Explained. Read the full explanation

Palliative care vs. hospice

Palliative care versus hospicePalliative care can run alongside treatment at any stage. Hospice is a type of palliative care for when curative treatment has stopped, focused on comfort.Palliative care — comfort at any stage, with or without treatmentDiagnosis ───────────────► through treatment ───────────────► advanced illnessHospice — comfort-focused care when curative treatment has stoppedCurative treatment endedEvery hospice is palliative; not every palliative-care patient is in hospice.
Palliative care vs. hospice. Comfort care at any stage, versus comfort care once treatment stops.
Text description of this diagram
  • Palliative care focuses on comfort and can be given at any stage, alongside treatment meant to cure or control the cancer.
  • Hospice is palliative care for when curative treatment has stopped, focused fully on comfort and quality of life.
  • Every hospice patient is receiving palliative care, but not every palliative-care patient is in hospice.

Based on National Cancer Institute and NIH patient education on palliative care and hospice. Diagram by Cancer Explained. Read the full explanation

Recurrence vs. metastasis

Recurrence versus metastasisRecurrence means cancer returns after a disease-free period; it can be local, regional, or distant. Metastasis describes cancer that has spread to a distant site, whether at first diagnosis or later.RecurrenceCancer comes back after time withno detectable disease. About timing.Can be local, regional, or distant.MetastasisCancer growing in a distant organ.About location.Can be present at diagnosis or later.
Recurrence vs. metastasis. One describes timing; the other describes location.
Text description of this diagram
  • Recurrence is about timing: cancer comes back after a period with no detectable disease. It can be local, regional, or distant.
  • Metastasis is about location: cancer growing in a distant organ. It can be present at first diagnosis or appear later.
  • A distant recurrence is metastatic, but metastasis can also be found at the very start.

Based on National Cancer Institute definitions of recurrence and metastasis. Diagram by Cancer Explained. Read the full explanation

Remission vs. no evidence of disease

Remission versus no evidence of diseaseComplete remission and “no evidence of disease” both mean tests find no detectable cancer. Partial remission means the cancer shrank but is still detectable. None guarantees the cancer is gone forever.Complete remission / NEDTests find no detectable cancer.Partial remissionCancer shrank but is still detectable.“No detectable cancer” is not the same as “cured” — follow-up continues.
Remission vs. no evidence of disease. What 'no detectable cancer' does and doesn't mean.
Text description of this diagram
  • Complete remission and 'no evidence of disease' (NED) both mean tests find no detectable cancer.
  • Partial remission means the cancer shrank but is still detectable.
  • None of these guarantee the cancer is gone forever, which is why follow-up continues.

Based on National Cancer Institute patient education on remission and NED. Diagram by Cancer Explained. Read the full explanation

Neoadjuvant vs. adjuvant treatment

Neoadjuvant versus adjuvant treatmentNeoadjuvant treatment is given before the main treatment (often surgery) to shrink a tumor. Adjuvant treatment is given after the main treatment to lower the chance of return.Neoadjuvant — beforeTreatmentSurgeryAdjuvant — afterSurgeryTreatment
Neoadjuvant vs. adjuvant treatment. Treatment before the main procedure, versus after it.
Text description of this diagram
  • Neoadjuvant treatment is given before the main treatment (often surgery), sometimes to shrink a tumor first.
  • Adjuvant treatment is given after the main treatment to lower the chance the cancer returns.
  • Which approach is used, if any, depends on the individual and is decided with the care team.

Based on National Cancer Institute definitions of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy. Diagram by Cancer Explained. Read the full explanation

Benign vs. malignant

Benign versus malignant tumorsA benign tumor stays in one place with a smooth border and does not invade or spread. A malignant tumor has an irregular border, can invade nearby tissue, and can spread to other parts of the body.BenignStays put · smooth border ·does not spread. Not cancer.MalignantIrregular border · invades ·can spread. This is cancer.
Benign vs. malignant. Not every tumor is cancer — the difference is whether it can invade and spread.
Text description of this diagram
  • A benign tumor has a smooth border, stays where it started, and does not spread. It is not cancer, though it may still need treatment if it presses on something.
  • A malignant tumor has an irregular border, can invade nearby tissue, and can spread to distant parts of the body. This is what 'cancer' means.
  • Only tests, usually a biopsy, can tell the two apart with certainty.

Based on National Cancer Institute patient education on benign and malignant tumors. Diagram by Cancer Explained. Read the full explanation

How screening can find cancer earlier

How screening can find cancer earlierTwo timelines. On the screening path, a test finds a change before symptoms appear, when more options are usually available. On the symptom path, cancer is found later, after symptoms bring someone to the doctor. Screening helps for some cancers, not all, and can have harms too.With screeningTest finds a change(before symptoms)Without screeningSymptoms appear, then foundScreening is only recommended for certain cancers, and has benefits and harms to weigh.
How screening can find cancer earlier. Screening looks for cancer before symptoms — for the cancers where that helps.
Text description of this diagram
  • Screening means testing for a cancer before there are any symptoms.
  • For some cancers, finding a change earlier means more options and, on average, better outcomes.
  • Screening is only recommended for certain cancers, and it has harms to weigh too — false alarms, extra tests, and finding things that would never have caused harm. Which screenings are right for you depends on your age and risk.

Based on National Cancer Institute and USPSTF patient education on cancer screening and its benefits and harms. Diagram by Cancer Explained. Read the full explanation

Reuse policy: these diagrams may be shared and embedded with attribution to “Cancer Explained, published by National Cancer Information Foundation.” See how our content is made.

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