Good new, but so confused by information.

Making sense of it all
I found the same kind of confusion when I was first confronted with having cancer. I run a business. My decisions are based on fact and experience. With the cancer diagnosis I was thrust into a world where I did not know the rules or guidelines. And there was no one to explain them. I just went with the flow, which was difficult since I am used to being the one making the decisions.

Here is what I have figured out so far. Staging is usually done when you have surgery. It is decided by how much, what kind, and where the cancer is located when the all the information from surgery is put together. From that staging a protocol is established which will effectively fight the cancer and it's spread. The protocol may involve radiation, chemo treatment, etc. Even with a protocol the individual patient's needs and best interests are taken into consideration when deciding on a treatment plan that will give the best chance for eradicating the cancer.

So ask questions. Write them down ahead of time if necessary since most of the time with the doctor is limited. Take a tape player or family member or friend with you so they can help remember what the doc said. Dont' hesitate to call back and ask more questions if necessary. I found that the unknown and the fear of it where some of the worst hurdles in the cancer journey. If you cruise the internet looking for answers don't be freaked out by what you find. There is a lot of negative out there. Remember you are an individual and your cancer is different from everyone else's. You are not a number.

Summons up your best fighting spirit, my dear. You can win this battle. I hope this helped a little. I am rooting for you.

TiggersDoBounce said:

Arwoody
Staging and grading is done through Pathology; i.e., tissue sammpling, tumor removal, etc. where scans assist with viewing of abnormal structures and size determination...just my ameteurish observation of things...

The Megace (Megrestol) helps with controlling bleeding, so if that was one of your issues, that will help reduce or stop that.

Hang in!

Laurie

more on Megace (Megresol)
Megace has been suggested as a possibility for me, so I've been researching it. It doesn't KILL cancer, but it does attach to estrogen-receptor-positive (ERP) and progesterone-receptor-positive (PRP) cancer cells, preventing the cancer from getting the hormones that they love and use to grow. So Megace can prevent your cancer from growing if your cells are ERP or PRP. Yours must be hormone-receptive if Megace is working to hold your cancer in check until your surgery! GOOD! Usually lower-grade cancers are hormone receptive, so take some comfort in that. But you won't know for SURE if your cancer is positive for either of these hormone-related factors until they can get in there and have a tissue sample to put under a microscope and do tests on.

The same is true with staging and grading your cancer. They need tissue to do that, and that means surgery. They are being very proactive to give you the Megace to hold your cancer back until they can get you in the operating room. Sounds like you are in good hands.