How does my doctor 'stage' my cancer?

How does my doctor 'stage' my cancer?

Stage is a very important concept in cancer for several reasons. First of all the stage defines where the cancer is located. It is an important question for both your doctor and you. The reason stage is important is because it defines which treatments are recommended and it also helps you understand your prognosis. The main way we determine the stage is by doing imaging studies such as a cat scan which takes x-rays of the body and puts it into a three dimension representation by computer or a M.R.I. scan which does the same thing using a magnet rather than an x-ray or a pet scan. A pet scan uses glucose which has radio activity attached. It is infused into the body, cancer cells take up the sugar much faster than healthier tissues. By imaging the body after it has the radiated glucose you can see where cancer is active. Between those studies stage can be determined and then you can have a good discussion about treatment and prognosis.