Join Eoin Tabb, Chief 2 Clinical Cancer Services Pharmacist, for a crash course on cancer staging. In this episode, we break down the essentials of cancer staging, from the different types of staging and the tests involved to the TNM system and stage groupings. Learn why staging is crucial for personalized treatment plans, prognostic information, and effective collaboration within the cancer care team. This episode is a valuable resource for all healthcare professionals involved in cancer care, regardless of experience level.

Key Points:

• What is cancer staging?

  
  





• Analogy of creating a detailed map to guide treatment decisions.

  
  



• Key questions staging answers: tumor size, lymph node involvement, metastasis.

  
  





• Types of Cancer Staging:

  
  





• Clinical staging: initial assessment before treatment.

  
  



• Pathological staging: more precise assessment after surgery.

  
  



• Re-staging: evaluating response to treatment.

  
  





• Staging Tests:

  
  





• Imaging tests: X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans.

  
  



• Biopsies: needle biopsies, core needle biopsies, surgical biopsies.

  
  



• Blood tests: FBC, tumor markers, liver/kidney function tests.

  
  





• TNM Staging System:

  
  





• T: Tumor size and invasiveness.

  
  



• N: Lymph node involvement.

  
  



• M: Metastasis (spread to distant organs).

  
  



• Stage grouping (I-IV): overall classification based on TNM scores.

  
  





• Why Staging Matters:

  
  





• Guides treatment decisions.

  
  



• Provides prognostic information.

  
  



• Facilitates research and comparison of treatment outcomes.

  
  





• Importance for Healthcare Professionals:

  
  





• Tailors treatment plans.

  
  



• Manages side effects.

  
  



• Educates and counsels patients.

  
  



• Enhances interdisciplinary collaboration.

  
  

Additional Resources:

• National Cancer Institute - Cancer Staging

  
  



• American Cancer Society - How is Cancer Staged?

  
  



• European Society for Medical Oncology - TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours

  
  

CPD IIOP Example: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eAdmWOmnnGpWwyVQpqTmWs-0Bp4eTQkJmYyxz5czWIU/edit?usp=sharing

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