In cancer of most parts of the body a Stage from 1 to 4 is often assigned at various time points in the cancer journey. This may help to predict prognosis, guide treatments and provide a framework for people to understand how potentially serious things may be.

With regards to ocular melanoma, we rely on Staging much less. In fact, the stage of your ocular melanoma cancer does not change how we treat the eye. However, when people are first diagnosed, having the ocular melanoma staged does help provide a framework or starting point so that people better understand where things are at - how bad is this? How advanced is my case? Listen to this episode to learn more about cancer staging, how the size of the ocular melanoma at diagnosis influences the staging, and finally how to figure out what exact Stage (from I to IV) is your ocular melanoma. 

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice. 

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.