No one has 'staged' my cancer yet

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TennisPink
TennisPink Member Posts: 22
edited April 2016 in Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results

I am brand new to this board-- diagnosed on March 1stand like many of you I am confused, SO scared and waiting endlessly for everything-- including a surgery date.

I hope this does not sound totally dumb but...

I have a 2.3cm tumor/mass in my left breast and it's been a month and people keep asking me "what stage"? I have met with my surgeon twice and she has not said anything about it and I am almost too afraid to ask (though I am rather certain it's either l or ll.). Do they usually stage you before surgery or after or does it vary depending on your surgeon?

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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited April 2016
    Hi Tennis, I am sorry you had to join this club. Speaking of staging, they assign a "tentative" stage before surgery but post-surgery staging is considered more accurate. Post-surgery staging may differ from pre-surgery stage that is based on clinical data and scanning that are not always accurate.
    You can always ask what your stage is. I didn't know my stage until I asked about it after the completion of radiation.
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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited April 2016

    A 'thought/suspected' stage may be given after the biopsy but it is determined after surgery. Depending on the type, it can sometimes be expected to be a certain stage - IBC is seldom, if ever, DX when it is less than Stage III at the least. It is possible to know after Bone Scans, CT/MRI and PET Scans are done that there are mets so Stage will be IV if there are mets.

    Have you met with your MO (Chemo Dr) or RO (Rads Dr) yet? They are part of your Team for your total TX plan.

    IF you have a question - ask your Dr(s) as they are the ones that can give you your individual information - we can't.

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  • rainnyc
    rainnyc Member Posts: 1,289
    edited April 2016

    Staging is also less precise than one might think. I was never staged properly as I had neoadjuvant chemo, which meant that by the time I had surgery there was nothing to stage. Agree--ask your doctors, but don't be surprised if they tell you not to be super concerned about it. Good luck! These early weeks are the worst. Do you have a surgery date yet?

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  • ReneeinOH
    ReneeinOH Member Posts: 511
    edited April 2016

    http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/stagingThis website has a good explanation of how staging works.

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