Staging

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Basia
Basia Member Posts: 790
edited June 2014 in Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis

I have a question, how are recurrences staged? I read somewhere they are all stage IV? That makes no sense to me.

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited May 2014

    Basia,

    Is the recurrence to a "distant" location (i.e. bones, lungs, liver, brain etc), or is it a local recurrence or possibly a new primary? Distant location does make it stage IV.

    Caryn

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  • Basia
    Basia Member Posts: 790
    edited May 2014

    Regional recurrence,  2 spots under 1 cm each and microscopic spot on lymph node.  Haven't spoken to oncologist yet, but was curious as to what stage it would be considered

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited May 2014

    basia,

    I have no medical expertise, so please don't interpret this as anything more than my understanding of what you've written. If the cancer is still confined to the breasts and associated lymph nodes, it is not stage IV. As to how it would be staged, I think that your mo would be the best person to ask. Wishing you the best.

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  • Basia
    Basia Member Posts: 790
    edited May 2014

    My  MO staged it at 4. I don't get it. He said that once it is out of the breast tissue it is considered stage 4, but I asked him if this was in a different location on the breast and hit the chest wall wouldn't it be 3 and he said nope, the recurrence and chest wall activity makes it 4.  When I see him next week I will clarify all this, I have too many questions.

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  • YoungTurkNYC
    YoungTurkNYC Member Posts: 334
    edited May 2014

    Basia - I thought a chest wall recurrence would be considered stage III.  A recurrence is not always stage IV.  Absolutely - you may want to clarify with your MO what makes you Stage IV.

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  • lovetodance1
    lovetodance1 Member Posts: 62
    edited May 2014

    Time for second opinion.....

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  • Jaimieh
    Jaimieh Member Posts: 2,373
    edited May 2014

    sounds like it is time for a second opinion.  I was told that I would always remain stage 1 unless it came back as a distant met. Your recurrence is considered a local one and should be the same. 

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