Staging describes the extent or severity of an individual’s cancer based on the extent of the original tumor and the extent of spread in the body. It is important because it helps the doctor plan a patient’s treatment. The stage can be used to estimate the person’s prognosis (likely outcome or course of the disease). Furthermore, knowing the stage is important in identifying clinical trials and research studies that may be suitable for a particular patient.
Staging is based on knowledge of the way cancer develops. Cancer cells divide and grow without control or order to form a mass of tissue, called a growth or tumor. As the tumor grows, it can invade nearby organs and tissues. Cancer cells can also break away from the tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. By moving through the bloodstream or lymphatic system, cancer can spread from the primary site to form new tumors in other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.
Most cancers can be described as stage 0, stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, or stage 4. Generally, stage 4 cancer denotes that the disease has metastasized to another organ. Medical treatment for stage 4 is much different from those of stage 1 as prognosis is expectedly poorer for the former.
Being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer is emotionally and psychologically tumultuous for the patient, as much as it is for his or her loved ones. Reaching out to patients and their families is the least every concerned human can do. Through this blog, it is our aim to provide vital information for cancer patients, particularly those diagnosed to be at stage 4, as well as their loved ones and caretakers in order to help everyone cope with and beat this disease called cancer.
For background information, the National Cancer Institute’s cancer information database contains cancer treatment summaries that describe the staging of each type of cancer. Treatment summaries are available at http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/ on the NCI’s Web site.
Staging information can also be obtained by calling the NCI’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) toll-free at 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237). For deaf and hard of hearing callers with TTY equipment, the toll-free number is 1–800–332–8615. CIS information specialists also offer immediate online assistance through the Help link at http://www.cancer.gov/ on the Internet.
