understand how early or advanced the cancer is . This information is crucial for planning the best and most appropriate treatment . For instance , certain early-stage cancers may require surgery or radiation , while more advanced stages may need different combinations of treatment , such as chemotherapy , targeted therapy , or immunotherapy .
Why do doctors ‘ restage ’ cancer ? Typically , a cancer is staged when it ’ s first diagnosed . However , restaging of cancer is also done when there ’ s evidence that the cancer has recurred or relapsed .
Restaging aims to re-evaluate the extent of the recurrence in order to plan for further treatment .
The process and type of tests done for restaging are similar to those performed at the initial staging . However , instead of using stages 1 – 4 , recurrent cancers are usually staged as ‘ localised ’ when they ’ re still confined to the original site of tumour , or ‘ metastatic ’ when they ’ ve spread to distant organs .
Doctors are always learning more about cancer and how best to treat it . As such , staging systems are continually being updated to make them more accurate .
However , this can also be more complex for patients to understand . Different stages may mean different things for patients with different cancers . If you ’ re unsure about the stage of your cancer and what it might mean for you , talk to your doctor and ask them to explain it in a way you can understand .
Dr Khoo Kei Siong is Deputy Medical Director and Senior Consultant in medical oncology at Parkway Cancer Centre in Singapore .
GlobalHealthAndTravel . com AUGUST 2021
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