staging question

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crystalbay
crystalbay Member Posts: 38
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
I asked about this in another post but can't recall which one. Another member had the identical staging as mine but mine was Stage III and his only Stage IIB. I'm wondering how
this can be?? I was T2 N1 M0. Is this Stage III or IIB???????

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  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,391 Member
    #2
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    Staging Guidelines
    Nancy,

    I am not sure why with the same TNM definition we would be defined as two different stages. I have included a reference to the staging guidelines for esophageal cancer below:
    Staging guidelines
    http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/esophageal/HealthProfessional/allpages/print#Section_12

    Stage IIB
    • T1, N1, M0
    • T2, N1, M0
    Stage III
    • T3, N1, M0
    • T4, any N, M0

    There have been some changes to the esophageal cancer guidelines in 2010 and that may account for the difference. But the guidelines above appear to be 2010 guidelines.

    Of course at the end of the day, the Stage we were when we went into treatment is not nearly as important as the results after treatment. We are all looking for NED after treatment and the more years we stay NED the better our chances of long term survival.

    I also left you a response under your “discouraged about using this site….” post. I hope you are receiving responses that are helpful now.

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams
    McCormick, South Carolina

    DX 10/22/2009 T2N1M0 – Stage IIB
    12/03/2009 Ivor Lewis
    2/8 – 6/14/2010 Adjuvant Chemo Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU
    6/21/2010 CT Scan NED

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