What is Meant by Cancer Staging? Learn the Language of a Cancer Diagnosis

Everyone Dies (Every1Dies)

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Cancer staging is very important to guide treatment decisions and eligibility in studies. When an oncologist delivers a diagnosis it will include stage, but what does that mean? After an agonizing period of tests, waits for results, and finally an answer, many people go numb as soon as they hear the word "cancer" and fail to ask for clarification about terminology. Learn what you need to know to be an active participant in your care. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/41q519X

In this Episode:

01:45 - Recipe: Alabama Lane Cake, featured in "To Kill a Mockingbird"
03:13 - A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen
07:23 - What You Need to Know About Cancer Staging
09:48 - The Exceptions to Staging
11:02 - Understanding Staging with a Stomach Cancer Example
18:11 - Cancer Staging Sub-Categories
20:44 - TNM Categories
24:15 - Discussion - Thoughts About Stage 4
30:22 - A Letter Attributed to David Bowie, Who Died from Liver Cancer
32:57 - Outro

What is Cancer Staging?

Our focus today is to help you understand the cancer staging system. The stage of disease measures if the cancer has spread, and how far is has spread from where it started. Cancer staging is a way to communicate the extent of cancer in the body so that everyone involved is speaking the same language.

Cancer Staging Example: Stomach Cancer

Dr. Matzo used stomach cancer as a way to understand staging. Visit our show notes for an image and detailed explanations.

Marianne also shared about cancer sub-categories, such as 1a, 2c, etc. This further refines the definition of how far the cancer has spread.

Cancer Staging with TNM Categories

The Tumor-Node-Metastasis notation is an even more refined way to define the extent of cancer spread. TNM helps to establish the anatomic extent of the disease, and the combination of the 3 factors can define the overall tumor stage. This method allows for simplification, with cancers staged from I-IV, with stage IV being the most severe stage.

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Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Recipe: Alabama Lane Cake, featured in “To Kill a Mockingbird” (00:01:45)

3. A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen (00:03:13)

4. What You Need to Know About Cancer Staging (00:07:23)

5. The Exceptions to Staging (00:09:48)

6. Understanding Staging with a Stomach Cancer Example (00:11:02)

7. Cancer Staging Sub-Categories (00:18:11)

8. TNM Categories (00:20:44)

9. Discussion – Thoughts About Stage 4 (00:24:15)

10. A Letter Attributed to David Bowie, Who Died from Liver Cancer (00:30:22)

11. Outro (00:32:57)

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