I was recently asked the question… “In your blog you made the distinction between level 4 and stage 4. What's the difference?”
Stages of Cancer
Ø Stage 1cancers is localized to one part of the body.
Ø Stage 2 cancers are locally advanced.
Ø Stage 3 cancers are also locally advanced. Whether a cancer is designated as Stage 2 or Stage 3 can depend on the specific type of cancer; for example, in Hodgkin's Disease, Stage 2 indicates affected lymph nodes on only one side of the diaphragm, whereas Stage 3 indicates affected lymph nodes above and below the diaphragm. The specific criteria for Stages 2 and 3 therefore differ according to diagnosis
Ø Stage 4 cancers have metastasized, or spread to other organs or throughout the body. Like breast cancer moving from the breast to the lungs or even the brain.
Levels of Brain Cancer
There are many different types of malignant or cancerous brain tumors. In most cases, a brain tumor is named for the cell type of origin. The most common type of primary brain tumors are the gliomas. Gliomas arise from the glial cells which are supportive cells that surround, nourish and protect neurons. One type of glioma is an astrocytoma. Astrocytomas are graded 1 through four, depending on the degree of aggressiveness. The most aggressive astrocytoma is grade four (this is what I have), is also called a glioblastoma (GBM). Of all brain tumors, a GBM has the greatest potential for rapid growth. The good thing about brain cancer is that it does not metastasize to other parts of the body and con not become a stage four cancer.
No comments:
Post a Comment