If carcinoma extends outside the uterus but is still within the pelvis or reaches retroperitoneal lymph nodes, the FIGO stage is which?

• A. Stage III
• B. Stage II
• C. Stage I
• D. Stage IV

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how far the cancer has spread from the uterus. If it stays confined to the uterus, it’s early stage; extending into the cervical stroma moves it to a higher stage, but still within the pelvis. When the disease breaks outside the uterus but remains in the pelvic area or involves regional (retroperitoneal) lymph nodes, that is Stage III. Only when there is invasion of bladder or bowel lining or distant metastasis beyond the pelvis does it become Stage IV. In this scenario, the cancer has extended beyond the uterus but is still within the pelvis or has reached retroperitoneal lymph nodes, which places it in Stage III. (Note: newer refinements distinguish pelvic vs paraaortic nodes within Stage III, but they remain in Stage III overall.)