If Staging can be upgraded, why can't it also be downgraded?

leesag
leesag Member Posts: 621 Member
in Ovarian Cancer #1
So, I had my appointment with the Chief of Neurosurgery at University Hospital today about Gamma Knife. (Have I mentioned how fortunate I have been to consistently have the best of the best in terms of surgeons, oncologists, radiation therapy and health care in general?) At any rate, during the meeting, I had the opportunity to see the final pathology/surgery reports. Imagine my surprise when I read that my Stage IIIC Ovarian Cancer is now Stage FOUR Ovarian Cancer due to Brain Mets!

Now the good news, is that my doctor told me that there is an 80-90% chance that I won't have any further lesions in my brain (I'll take those odds any day!) But the question I have is this.... If they can upgrade my Staging to Stage IV because of brain mets....when the lesions are gone and I'm NED, why can't I be a Stage 0?

Seriously, if they're going to upgrade the staging, they should also downgrade the staging!

I'm just sayin'!

;)

Hugs and Healthy Thoughts!

Leesa

Comments

  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #2
    Everything I have read has
    Everything I have read has said the staging never changes. From the ACS website:

    A cancer's stage does not change
    An important point some people have trouble understanding is that the stage of a cancer does not change over time, even if the cancer progresses. A cancer that comes back or spreads is still referred to by the stage it was given when it was first found and diagnosed, only information about the current extent of the cancer is added.

    For example, if a woman were first diagnosed with stage II breast cancer and after the cancer went away with treatment it came back with spread to the bones, the cancer is still a stage II breast cancer, only with recurrent disease in the bones. If the breast cancer did not respond to treatment and spread to the bones it is called a stage II breast cancer with metastasis in the bones. In either case, the original stage does not change and it is not called a stage IV breast cancer. A stage IV breast cancer refers to a cancer that has already spread to a distant part of the body when it is first diagnosed. A person keeps the same diagnosis stage, but more information is added to the diagnosis to explain the current disease status.

    Carlene
  • LaundryQueen
    LaundryQueen Member Posts: 676
    #3
    Hissy_Fitz said:

    Everything I have read has
    Everything I have read has said the staging never changes. From the ACS website:

    A cancer's stage does not change
    An important point some people have trouble understanding is that the stage of a cancer does not change over time, even if the cancer progresses. A cancer that comes back or spreads is still referred to by the stage it was given when it was first found and diagnosed, only information about the current extent of the cancer is added.

    For example, if a woman were first diagnosed with stage II breast cancer and after the cancer went away with treatment it came back with spread to the bones, the cancer is still a stage II breast cancer, only with recurrent disease in the bones. If the breast cancer did not respond to treatment and spread to the bones it is called a stage II breast cancer with metastasis in the bones. In either case, the original stage does not change and it is not called a stage IV breast cancer. A stage IV breast cancer refers to a cancer that has already spread to a distant part of the body when it is first diagnosed. A person keeps the same diagnosis stage, but more information is added to the diagnosis to explain the current disease status.

    Carlene

    Staging
    It looks like the pathologists are not all on the same page re: staging.

    LQ
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    #4
    I'm just saying
    I'm jumping around my computer... (well sort of hopping actually for I'm just starting to come back from a week in Never Never Land after my last chemo round) BUT, I had to say than I love those 80-90% odds! I'm sure I've been upgraded also, but was never told. This isn't like going from coach to first class, is it?
    (((HUGS))) Maria

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