The short answer
FIGO is the staging system most often used for cancers of the cervix, ovaries and uterus. It uses stages I to IV, with numbers and letters that add detail. For cervical cancer, the letters and numbers depend on how deep the cancer has grown, how big it is and where it has spread.
FIGO stands for the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
NCI says the FIGO system is the one most commonly used for cervical, ovarian and endometrial cancers.
A cervical stage like IB2 or IIIC1 packs in depth, size and spread in a few characters.
In cervical cancer, an r or p after the stage shows whether imaging or tissue findings were used.
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This page is for people whose report gives a FIGO stage, such as IB2, IIIC1 or IVB. It explains what FIGO is and how to read a cervical cancer stage. The same system is used for ovarian and endometrial cancer.
What FIGO is
FIGO stands for the Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique. In English, that is the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
NCI says FIGO and the American Joint Committee on Cancer have both set up staging for these cancers. NCI also says the FIGO system is the one most commonly used for cervical, ovarian and endometrial cancer.
Reading a cervical cancer stage
FIGO stages run from I to IV. Numbers and letters after the Roman numeral add detail. NCI describes them like this for cervical cancer.
Stage I. The cancer is only in the cervix.
- IA: the cancer can be seen only with a microscope, and it has grown no deeper than 5 millimeters. IA1 is 3 millimeters or less. IA2 is more than 3 but no more than 5.
- IB: the cancer has grown deeper than 5 millimeters but is still only in the cervix. IB1 is up to 2 centimeters across. IB2 is more than 2 and up to 4 centimeters. IB3 is more than 4 centimeters.
Stage II. The cancer has grown beyond the uterus. It has not reached the lower third of the vagina or the wall of the pelvis.
- IIA: the cancer is in the upper two-thirds of the vagina, without involving the parametrium, the tissue around the uterus. IIA1 is up to 4 centimeters. IIA2 is more than 4.
- IIB: the cancer involves the tissue around the uterus (the parametrium) but does not reach the pelvic wall.
Stage III. The cancer reaches the lower third of the vagina or the pelvic wall, causes a swollen or non-working kidney, or involves lymph nodes in the pelvis or next to the aorta.
- IIIA: the lower third of the vagina.
- IIIB: the pelvic wall, or a swollen or non-working kidney. NCI adds "unless known to be due to another cause."
- IIIC: pelvic or para-aortic lymph nodes, whatever the size of the tumor. IIIC1 is pelvic nodes only. IIIC2 is para-aortic nodes.
Stage IV. The cancer has gone beyond the true pelvis, or biopsy has shown it in the lining of the bladder or rectum.
- IVA: the cancer has spread to nearby pelvic organs.
- IVB: the cancer has spread to distant organs.
What r and p mean
You may see r or p after a IIIC stage. NCI says r shows that imaging was used, and p shows that pathology was used. For example, IIIC1r means imaging showed cancer in the pelvic lymph nodes. IIIC1p means tissue findings confirmed it.
NCI also says imaging and pathology can add to the exam findings, and that pathology findings take priority over imaging and exam findings.
Other gynecologic cancers
NCI says FIGO staging is also the one most commonly used for ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer. The letters work differently there. For example, ovarian stage IA means cancer inside a single ovary or fallopian tube. See what stage letters mean for more.
For endometrial cancer, NCI says the 2023 FIGO update is not widely used yet. It adds molecular test results, and some doctors cannot get those results for their patients. NCI's summary also says FIGO stages I to IV are further divided by tumor grade, for example stage IB G2. If your report is for endometrial cancer, ask which version of staging was used.
Carcinoma in situ is not a FIGO stage
NCI notes that in situ carcinoma of the cervix is not recognized as a stage by FIGO. Pre-cancer results on a cervical biopsy use other terms. See CIN 1, 2 or 3.
Is this urgent?
A FIGO stage is not an emergency by itself. Ask your care team when your staging is complete and when treatment planning will start. If you have new or worsening symptoms while you wait, call your care team right away. If you think you are having an emergency, call 911.
What to ask your team
- What is my exact stage, with every letter and number?
- Was it set from an exam and scans, from tissue, or both?
- If lymph nodes are involved, was that seen on imaging or confirmed on tissue?
- How does my stage affect my treatment options?
Sources
- National Cancer Institute: Cervical Cancer Treatment (PDQ), Health Professional Version
- National Cancer Institute: Ovarian Epithelial, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Treatment (PDQ), Health Professional Version
- National Cancer Institute: Endometrial Cancer Treatment (PDQ), Health Professional Version
- National Cancer Institute: Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Treatment (PDQ), Patient Version
Common questions
What does FIGO stand for?
FIGO stands for the Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique, in English the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. NCI says its staging system is the one most commonly used for cervical, ovarian and endometrial cancers.
What does stage IB2 mean in cervical cancer?
NCI says stage IB means invasive cancer that has grown deeper than 5 millimeters but is still limited to the cervix. In IB2, the cancer is more than 2 centimeters and no more than 4 centimeters in its largest dimension.
What does stage IIIC1 mean in cervical cancer?
NCI says stage IIIC means cancer in pelvic or para-aortic lymph nodes, whatever the size of the tumor. IIIC1 means cancer in pelvic lymph nodes only. IIIC2 means cancer in para-aortic lymph nodes.
What do the r and p after a stage mean?
NCI says r and p are added to a stage IIIC to show how the lymph node finding was made. For example, IIIC1r means imaging showed pelvic lymph node cancer, and IIIC1p means it was confirmed on tissue.
Is my stage final if it came from a scan?
NCI says imaging and pathology can be used to add to the clinical findings, and that pathology findings take priority over imaging and clinical findings. Ask your team which results your stage is based on.
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Written by: Cancer ExplainedSources last checked: 2026-10-19 what this meansLast updated: 2026-10-19Next planned review: 2027-10-19
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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