From Greek: para allelois beside one another. Lines are parallel if they lie in the same plane, and are the same distance apart over their entire length. Try this Drag any orange dot at the points P or Q. As the line PQ moves, the line RS will remain parallel to it. Parallel lines remain the same distance apart over their entire length.
It is important to know whether the cancer has got into the lymph glands because they are one of the main mechanisms by which the cancer can spread to other parts of the body. As long as the spread is just to the lymph glands near to the colon then this would indicate Stage 3 cancer.
Testicular cancer metastasizes in a predictable pattern, and lymph nodes in the retroperitoneum are typically the first place it lands. By examining the removed lymphatic tissue, a pathologist can determine whether the disease has spread. If no malignant tissue is found, the cancer can be labeled Stage I, limited to the testicle.