Overview

The stage of a cancer describes the size of a tumour and how far it has spread from where it originated. The grade describes the appearance of the cancerous cell. Further stages involve determining tumor size and how far cancer may have spread. The specifics of stages can be termed for different types of cancer.

There are different types of cancer stages which are used for different types of cancer. Below is an example of one common method of staging:

• Stage 0 – indicates that the cancer is where it started (in situ) and hasn't spread
• Stage I – the cancer is small and hasn't spread anywhere else
• Stage II – the cancer grow , but hasn't spread
• Stage III – the cancer becomes larger and may have spread to the surrounding tissues or the lymph nodes.
• Stage IV – the cancer spread from where it started to at least one other body organ like to the liver or lung. This can be also called metastatic or secondary cancer.

Sometimes it can be used as letters A, B or C to further divide the number categories. For example, stage 3B cervical cancer.

Cancer patients with a positive approach towards the disease require very little help or support. The patient-centric and customized treatment plans that BGS allow patients to have a normal life throughout the course of the treatment.

We encourage counseling and frequent interactions with the family, so that the overall quality of life of the patients is not affected and patients can continue to be productive at home, work and in the society at large.

Usually, there will be no diet restrictions. We recommend you to have healthy balanced meals. You can also talk to our dieticians who are specialized in oncology and can offer high-quality, comprehensive diet plans that can support your overall wellbeing.

Second opinion may confirm your original diagnosis and treatment plan provide more details about the type and stage of your breast raise additional treatment options not considered, or lead to a recommendation for a different course of action. A second opinion may also help you feel more confident in your treatment decisions and help you find a doctor you feel comfortable with

Genetic testing may help determine if your cancer resulted from an inherited gene mutation. Genetic Counseling may help you understand the risks, benefits and limitations of genetic testing in certain situations. A genetic counselor, doctor or other health care professional trained in genetics may help you and your family understands your test results and other findings, such as a genetic risk factor for another disease like diabetes or heart conditions.

Some people who undergo for cancer therapy have feel some pain and skin irritation. The affected skin may eventually become red and swollen like sunburn. These conditions begin after few weeks of starting treatment and vanish on their own after months when treatment ends. For some cancer patients, the symptoms may not noticed in several months or years after the treatment. Some common side effects also include fatigue after weeks of treatment.

How can I ease the side effects and what are the possible after-effects should I be prepared for?

Your medical team will provide supportive care techniques to deal with the side effects associated with radiation therapy for cancer. Pain management and oncology rehabilitation may help with skin pain and soreness and lymphedema management. Naturopathic support, nutrition therapy, oncology rehabilitation and mind-body medicine may help relieve fatigue. Once the cancer treatment is completed, the expert team will be sharing a detailed report on the follow-up care and follow-up tests with the patients, along with the information on possible side effects.

In precision therapy, the incidence of side effects is far less as compared to what was seen in past. Nowadays, most treatments were given on an outpatient basis. There are no long-term adverse effects too. In case the patients are experiencing any kind side effects, it has to be discussed and explained it with the expert team, who be providing necessary assistance to the patients.

Cancer treatment has improved extremely over the past years and it made possible because of patients who have been willing to participate in studies exploring treatment options, drug protocols or other approaches before they can be provide federal approval. These clinical trials may provide cancer patients other new treatment options that may unavailable to them, especially after exhausting conventional treatments. If a cancer patient qualifies for such a trial then they can ask the doctor about their concerns or raise questions. So that you may determine if it’s a good fit for you.

Cancer treatments have two main goals: to destroy as much of the cancer as possible, and to prevent tumors from returning. There are many types of cancer treatment. This treatment depends on the type of treatment one can receive and how advanced it is. Few people with cancer will have only one treatment. But for most people there have a combination of treatments like surgery with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Also some treatments remove or end the disease within the organ and nearby tissues, such as lymph nodes. These treatments include:

• Biomarker Testing for Cancer Treatment

Biomarker testing is a test which is used to look for genes, proteins, and other substances (called biomarkers or tumor markers) that can provide information about cancer.

• Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment which is uses for drugs to kill cancer cells.

• Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy is a treatment that stops and slows the growth of breast and prostate cancers that use hormones to grow.

• Immunotherapy to Treat Cancer

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer.

• Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a treatment in which high doses of radiation is uses to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

• Stem Cell Transplant

Stem cell transplants are procedures that restore blood-forming stem cells in cancer patients who have had their destroyed by very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy..

• Surgery

Surgery is used to treat cancer also surgery is a procedure in which a surgeon removes the cancer from your body.

• Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is cancer treatment that targets the changes in cancer cells which allow them grow, divide, and spread.

A pathology report is crucial to getting a precise diagnosis and deciding on the best treatment plan for patients. The experienced and specialized doctor interprets well the laboratory tests and evaluating cells, tissues, and organs to diagnose disease. The professional uses the latest technologies and equipment and the most advanced techniques to analyze thousands of tissue samples each year.

The pathologist determines the precise type and severity (stage) of the cancer and may also work with other members of the care team to recommend a treatment strategy that could include observation, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of these approaches.

If a person thinks that they might have cancer, then they should talk to a primary care physician or OB/GYN. There are a number of doctors can help in cancer treatment. The following is a list of doctors who may be involved in your care:

• Medical oncologist: A physician who has special training in diagnosing and treating cancer using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and targeted therapy
• Surgical oncologist: a physician or surgeon do surgery to diagnose, find the stages and give treatments for the cancer and manage certain cancer-related symptoms, and who may perform biopsies and other surgical procedures such as removing a lump or a breast
• Radiation oncologist: A physician trained in cancer treatment using radiation to shrink tumors and destroy cancer cells

Asking questions to your oncologist may help you make more informed decisions about your cancer treatment. A clear word between patient and doctor is extremely important. Here are the some common questions about a cancer which a person should ask:

• Which surgical option do you recommend?
• How long cancer patient be in the hospital?
• Should the cancer patient consider participating in a clinical trial?
• What is the size of tumor and why it does matter with size?
• How can I manage treatment-related side effects?
• What are the possible side effects of each treatment option?

The consult doctor may use some treatments to slop, slow or remove the cancer. They may also use supportive care, to deal with symptoms and side effects it’s important to make sure your doctor explains outcome of the treatment plan and how it will going to affect you. And make sure it aligns with your personal goals for treatment. The certain goals for the treatment are considered which includes:

• Chance of a cure
• Potential short- and long-term side effects
• Chances of living longer with or without treatment
• Effect on your quality of life and independence
• Preferences of you and your family
• Relative survival rates
• Disease-free survival rates
• Progression-free survival rates

Rarely but sometimes Cancer gives long-term side effects or late effects that may develop in months or years after treatment. It’s important to communicate with your doctor and team about the possible long-term effects of scope of treatment and option.

Many people who deal with cancer have medical expenses for things like:

• • Provider office visits
• • Clinic visits for treatments
• • Lab tests such as blood tests, urine tests which usually billed separately
• • Procedures like diagnosis and treatment, which can include hospital room charges, equipment, different doctors, and more.
• • Imaging tests like CT scans, X-rays and MRIs, which have separate bills for radiologist fees and equipment.
• • Radiation treatments (implants, external radiation, or both)
• • Medicine/Drug Cost like chemo or other medicines that treat cancer that may be inpatient, outpatient, prescription, non-prescription, and procedure-related
• • Hospital staying costs which costs such as drugs, tests, and procedures as well as nursing care, doctor visits, and consults with specialists
• • Rehabilitation expenses
• • Surgical cost (surgeon, anesthesiologist, pathologist, operating room fees, equipment, medicines, and more)
• • Home care (can include equipment, drugs, visits from specially trained nurses, and more)
• • Specialist referrals (other specialty doctors, physical therapy, and others)
• • Transportation costs this may include the cost of travel to receive treatment.
• • Aware of terms and condition of your insurance policy.
• • Be aware of preferred or network doctors, hospitals, or clinics according to your policy.
• • Keep careful records of your health care costs

If any of your treatments might be done by out-of-network doctors or providers, find financial assistance too. Even when you know the terms of your policy, getting payments can mean re-submitting claims and appealing denial, and much more.

Usually, health assistance facilities and treatment centers have a financial department that handles health insurance concerns and problems. Speak with your doctor and a care team if someone can help with claims and understanding codes on the bills that are sent to the insurance company.

It’s important to avoid inactivity and back to normal daily activities as soon as possible after diagnosis and treatment. It’s important to take follow up a structured treatment and procedures which are extremely patient-centric. With the availability of a myriad of individualized treatment plans, BGS always makes the wellbeing of its patients – a top priority. We customize the treatment plans according to our patients’ activities in order to ensure that the treatment happens smoothly without any hassles and does not interfere with the lifestyle of the patients. Lastly, immense guidance and support from the family and an overall positive outlook are very important, as these positively impact the clinical outcome and recovery process.

The types of cancer treatment that you receive will depend on the type of concern have and how advanced it is. Some people with cancer will have only one treatment. But most people have combine treatments, such as surgery with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Cancer is a heterogeneous type of disease. Each cancer patient possesses different biological traits which holds good for the cancers. If two patients are diagnosed with breast cancer, it does not necessarily mean that their cancers are the same, or they can be treated successfully with the same treatment plan.

These circumstances call for the need of personalized medicine. In recent study suggests that the differences between the sexes may in part be due to carcinogenic exposures and lifestyle factors like cigarette smoking, drinking alcohol and eating fattier foods — all of which are more prevalent among me

At BGS, we practice value-based and precision medicine, which helps us treat each cancer case with a unique treatment plan. For initial level the detailed a detailed study on the diagnostic parameters should be done such as pathology results, imaging results, genetic make-up, hormone receptor status, prognostic factors, etc

After the thorough assessment of the diagnostic information and the overall condition of the patient, the expert team devises a personalized treatment plan. This treatment process involves a single treatment modality which can be chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy biotherapy and radiotherapy surgery or a combination of multiple modalities.