Check this out. This site is great for the printed info. Anytime you need to go to the bottom of the page and click on SEARCH and it opens up to this site's info.

www.oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/stages_cancer.htm

Grade

The definitions of the G categories apply to all head and neck sites except thyroid. These are:

G - Histopathological Grading

GX - Grade of differentiation cannot be assessed
G1 - Well differentiated
G2 - Moderately differentiated
G3 - Poorly differentiated
G4 - Undifferentiated

Differentiation: In cancer, refers to how mature (developed) the cancer cells are in a tumor. Differentiated tumor cells resemble normal cells and tend to grow and spread at a slower rate than undifferentiated or poorly differentiated tumor cells, which lack the structure and function of normal cells and grow uncontrollably.

In other words, poorly differentiated tumors are able to cross all boundaries of tissue types (muscle, soft tissue, etc.), even into bone.






David

Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.