Cancer staging: 5 important reasons to understand your cancer staging۔
Sue Chang, MD, FCAP, is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Pathology at the National Medical Center of Hope City in Duarte, California.
Not sure what your cancer staging is or what does it mean? Now is a good time to learn about it, because even your health care team is learning new things about cancer staging. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) recently released the latest version of the Cancer Staging Manual, which has staged new and updated stages for many types of cancer. Most cancer treatment centers begin using the latest manual on January 1, 2018.
Staging is an important part of developing your treatment plan. The extent to which a cancer is diagnosed—its location, whether it has spread or where it spreads, whether it is affecting other parts of the body—is often referred to as the “staging” of cancer.
The cancer staging process is multifaceted. Doctors work together to gather a lot of information about determining cancer staging. Discoveries from procedures and examinations (such as physical examinations, imaging scans, biopsies, blood tests, and genetic tests) were used to stage. This staging is the most accurate snapshot of the cancer at the time.
However, according to a recent study by the Pennsylvania Cancer Center, half of the patients who received cancer treatment in the past two years did not know the stage of cancer. Here are five reasons why you and your friends and family support the network, asking and understanding your cancer staging is very important.
1. Your cancer staging determines your treatment.
The treatment that works best for you depends on the type and stage of the cancer. Many treatment guidelines and timelines are based on specific cancer stages. The order in which treatment (such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery) is given may also depend on the stage.
2. Your cancer staging helps predict your chances of recovery.
Even though everyone is different and each cancer experience is unique, some general rules can be summed up in some cancer types and stages. Cancer staging is a method of grouping cases and predicting their likelihood of remission and survival (mitigation means no signs of cancer in the body). It can also help predict whether a cancer will grow, spread, or reoccur after treatment, known as recurrence.
3. Your cancer staging sets expectations and is the starting point for discussion.
"Cancer" is a terrible word, but not all cancers and cancer stages are the same. Knowing your cancer staging is a better way to predict and prepare for future challenges. Cancer staging is like a roadmap based on the footprints of previous cancer patients at similar stages.
4. Your cancer staging can help you identify clinical trials that may be right for you.
Patients are required to meet the eligibility criteria before they can participate in a clinical trial. The standard usually includes a specific cancer stage. Staging provides researchers with a way to bring together many patients in many treatment centers to arrive at reasonable conclusions based on the results of the study.
5. As we learn more, the cancer stage will change.
Cancer staging is not an exact science. Doctors have been learning more about it. The latest version of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual is the eighth version since 1959. Staging progress is based on knowledge gained from prior experience. This means that your cancer staging may not be the same as the cancer staging of someone diagnosed 10 years ago. Therefore, your treatment options and recovery opportunities may be different.
Our understanding of cancer has been growing. Cancer staging is another tool that helps us treat patients effectively. It is important for all cancer patients to understand their staging so they can understand the situation and actively participate in their cancer treatment.
Sue Chang, MD, FCAP, is an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Pathology at the National Medical Center of Hope City in Duarte, California.
Not sure what your cancer staging is or what does it mean? Now is a good time to learn about it, because even your health care team is learning new things about cancer staging. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) recently released the latest version of the Cancer Staging Manual, which has staged new and updated stages for many types of cancer. Most cancer treatment centers begin using the latest manual on January 1, 2018.
Staging is an important part of developing your treatment plan. The extent to which a cancer is diagnosed—its location, whether it has spread or where it spreads, whether it is affecting other parts of the body—is often referred to as the “staging” of cancer.
The cancer staging process is multifaceted. Doctors work together to gather a lot of information about determining cancer staging. Discoveries from procedures and examinations (such as physical examinations, imaging scans, biopsies, blood tests, and genetic tests) were used to stage. This staging is the most accurate snapshot of the cancer at the time.
However, according to a recent study by the Pennsylvania Cancer Center, half of the patients who received cancer treatment in the past two years did not know the stage of cancer. Here are five reasons why you and your friends and family support the network, asking and understanding your cancer staging is very important.
1. Your cancer staging determines your treatment.
The treatment that works best for you depends on the type and stage of the cancer. Many treatment guidelines and timelines are based on specific cancer stages. The order in which treatment (such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery) is given may also depend on the stage.
2. Your cancer staging helps predict your chances of recovery.
Even though everyone is different and each cancer experience is unique, some general rules can be summed up in some cancer types and stages. Cancer staging is a method of grouping cases and predicting their likelihood of remission and survival (mitigation means no signs of cancer in the body). It can also help predict whether a cancer will grow, spread, or reoccur after treatment, known as recurrence.
3. Your cancer staging sets expectations and is the starting point for discussion.
"Cancer" is a terrible word, but not all cancers and cancer stages are the same. Knowing your cancer staging is a better way to predict and prepare for future challenges. Cancer staging is like a roadmap based on the footprints of previous cancer patients at similar stages.
4. Your cancer staging can help you identify clinical trials that may be right for you.
Patients are required to meet the eligibility criteria before they can participate in a clinical trial. The standard usually includes a specific cancer stage. Staging provides researchers with a way to bring together many patients in many treatment centers to arrive at reasonable conclusions based on the results of the study.
5. As we learn more, the cancer stage will change.
Cancer staging is not an exact science. Doctors have been learning more about it. The latest version of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual is the eighth version since 1959. Staging progress is based on knowledge gained from prior experience. This means that your cancer staging may not be the same as the cancer staging of someone diagnosed 10 years ago. Therefore, your treatment options and recovery opportunities may be different.
Our understanding of cancer has been growing. Cancer staging is another tool that helps us treat patients effectively. It is important for all cancer patients to understand their staging so they can understand the situation and actively participate in their cancer treatment.
Cancer staging: 5 important reasons to understand your cancer staging
Reviewed by Health Tips
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July 01, 2019
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Reviewed by Health Tips
on
July 01, 2019
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