I would ask directly your doctor as he will be able to detailed explain that for you....also the stage I, II, III and IV is different from the TNM method you mentioned above....When I was first diagnosed, doctors who grabbed my hand and where very committed with my cure and not with my cancer have not mentioned my stage till I asked them and those who told I had only 06 months of life seemed to be very willing to tell me I was stage IVB.....so I asked those who saved my life why they have never told me, and they mentioned that this is just a classification and people are used to go to the statistics attached to those numbers which are also only statistics, so they were not worried about that and thought it would not make me any benefit to think about that while I could be dedicating my energies to fight, to get better and to be faithful and as committed as they was with my cure.....I liked that approach and it really worked....I am here against number, against stage and statistics.....so be faithful, strong and grab God's hand, and if you still think it is important to define your stage please talk with your doctor I am sure he will help you a lot.....God bless you and continue blessing all of us
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ShirleyAnne started following
Question: Staging
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ShirleyAnne asked a questionBreast Cancer
Staging
8 answers-
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Clyde
over 7 years agoAbove all remember, the staging is a number based on averages not a step. Think of it as a curve and each stage number covers a section and we are all spread across the curve not lumped at certain points (its not a staircase, its a hot wheels loop). Talk to your doctors, ask them for a more detailed explanation of your particular situation as cancer is very individual.
I actually think the staging number gets in the way for a lot of people. Its cancer. You have to fight it no matter what number is assigned. I think some people tend to lose hope the higher the number, but reality shows us that its just as easy to survive at the top of the number scale as it is to fail at the bottom. Good luck.
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Joyex
over 7 years agoI don't know anything about breast cancer. However my husband has Colon Cancer Stage 4. I agree with Glam and other comments that this staging issue can be "dangerous" knowledge. Whenever I said Stage 4 to lay people they would start thinking about their outfit to the funeral. Well those XXX outfits are old fashioned now and probably don't fit them as that was 6 and half years ago. Yes my husband has a recurrence which we will fight again - but nobody expected him to be around now - except the oncologists who are the ones that are seeing people everyday with Stage 4 and know they can still live long and happy lives with treatment. All the best. xx
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