Diagnosis & Staging
Tests, biopsies, staging, and what your results mean.
Articles about Diagnosis & Staging
Diagnosis & Staging
A New Primary Cancer vs. A Recurrence
The difference between a cancer returning and a new primary cancer starting, why it changes treatment, and what to ask your team about which one you have.
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Abnormal Mammogram: What Happens Next?
What an abnormal mammogram can mean, why most findings are not cancer, and what follow-up tests may come next.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Abnormal Pap or HPV Positive: What Happens Next?
What abnormal Pap and HPV-positive results can mean, and why follow-up often prevents cervical cancer.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Adrenocortical Carcinoma Diagnosis: Questions to Ask
Questions to clarify a adrenocortical carcinoma diagnosis, pathology review, staging, pending tests, and second opinions.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Adult Bone Cancer: Diagnosis and Tests
How adult bone cancer is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
ALL: Pathology and Molecular Results
How pathology, blood, marrow, chromosome, and molecular results help classify Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and shape the next discussion.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
AML: Pathology and Molecular Results
How pathology, blood, marrow, chromosome, and molecular results help classify Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and shape the next discussion.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
AML: Understanding FLT3 and NPM1 Mutations
A plain-language clinical breakdown of biomarker testing, diagnostic staging, and treatment options for AML: Understanding FLT3 and NPM1 Mutations.
7 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
An Inconclusive Biopsy: Why Another Procedure May Be Needed
A biopsy that does not give a clear answer is common, not a failed test. What a non-diagnostic sample means, why a repeat may be needed, and what to ask.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Appendiceal Cancer Diagnosis: Questions to Ask
Questions to clarify a appendiceal cancer diagnosis, pathology review, staging, pending tests, and second opinions.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancer: Diagnosis and Tests
How basal and squamous cell skin cancer is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Biopsy: How Cancer Is Confirmed
A plain-language guide to biopsies — the procedures that remove a tissue sample so a pathologist can check for cancer
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Blood and Lab Tests Used in Cancer
A plain-language guide to the lab tests used to help diagnose and monitor cancer
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Bone Scan vs. PET Scan: Key Differences
Bone scans and PET scans use tracers, but they answer different cancer questions. Learn what each test is looking for.
3 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Bone Scan: How to Prepare and What to Expect
How to prepare for a bone scan and what happens: the tracer injection, the 3 to 4 hour wait, about an hour of scanning, and how results are read.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Breast Implants and BIA-ALCL: What to Know
What BIA-ALCL is, why textured breast implants were recalled in 2019, symptoms like swelling or pain to watch for, and what the FDA advises implant patients.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Burkitt Lymphoma: Diagnosis and Tests
How burkitt lymphoma is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Can genetic test results be used by insurers or employers?
The federal law GINA stops health insurers and employers from using genetic information against you. It doesn't cover life or disability insurance.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Can Tumor Markers Be Normal When Someone Has Cancer?
Yes — normal tumor markers do not rule out cancer. Some tumors never secrete the marker, and some people cannot produce it at all.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Cancer Diagnosis During Pregnancy or Postpartum
Cancer in pregnancy: chemo is generally not given in the first trimester, ending the pregnancy does not necessarily improve survival, and an MFM specialist helps.
9 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Cancer Found Accidentally (Incidentalomas)
Incidentalomas are common and mostly benign. What the workup involves, why guidelines limit it, and the harms of chasing findings that don't matter.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Cancer Found During a Scan for Something Else
An incidental cancer finding: reading the report before your doctor calls, the wait, and making decisions when nothing prepared you for this.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Cancer Found Incidentally on a Scan
A scan for something else found something unexpected. What incidental findings usually are, why reports sound alarming, and what follow-up means.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Cancer Recurrence vs. A New Primary Cancer
How pathology and molecular tests tell a recurrence apart from a new primary cancer, and why the answer changes staging, treatment goals and drugs.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Cancer Staging: What the Stage Means
A plain-language explanation of cancer staging, including the widely used TNM system and stage numbers, based on National Cancer Institute resources.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Cervical Dysplasia (CIN): Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Cervical dysplasia questions to ask after an abnormal Pap or HPV result: what CIN 1, 2, and 3 mean, follow-up timing, and the treatment options.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer) Guide
Bile duct cancer explained: intrahepatic vs extrahepatic, FGFR2 and IDH1 testing, and how immunotherapy is now added to chemotherapy.
7 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
CLL: Pathology and Molecular Results
How pathology, blood, marrow, chromosome, and molecular results help classify Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and shape the next discussion.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
CML: Pathology and Molecular Results
How pathology, blood, marrow, chromosome, and molecular results help classify Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and shape the next discussion.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
CT Scans: What They Are and What to Expect
A plain-language guide to CT (computed tomography) scans in cancer care — how they work, what to expect, contrast dye, and radiation
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
CT With vs. Without Contrast: What's the Difference?
Contrast is a dye that makes blood vessels, organs, and some tumors show up more clearly on a CT scan. Some scans use it; others do not.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: Diagnosis and Tests
How cutaneous t-cell lymphoma is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
DLBCL: Pathology and Molecular Results
How pathology, blood, marrow, chromosome, and molecular results help classify Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) and shape the next discussion.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Elevated PSA: What Happens Next?
What an elevated PSA can mean, why it is not always cancer, and what follow-up options may be discussed.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Enlarged Lymph Node on a Scan: What Happens Next?
What an enlarged lymph node on CT, MRI, ultrasound, or PET can mean and how follow-up is chosen.
3 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Finding Out You May Have Cancer Through a Patient Portal
Results now post to portals immediately under the Cures Act. How to handle reading a possible cancer result before your clinician has called you.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Follicular Lymphoma: Pathology and Molecular Results
How pathology, blood, marrow, chromosome, and molecular results help classify follicular lymphoma and shape the next discussion.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Genetic Testing After a Cancer Diagnosis
Germline vs tumor testing after a cancer diagnosis, who is eligible, what results change, and the GINA gap on life and disability insurance.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Genetic Testing vs. Genomic Testing
Inherited genetic testing and tumor genomic or biomarker testing answer different cancer questions. Learn the difference.
3 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Germline and somatic testing: what the difference is
One test looks at changes you were born with; the other at changes in the tumor. They answer different questions and aren't interchangeable.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Gestational Trophoblastic Disease: Diagnosis Questions
Questions to clarify a gestational trophoblastic disease diagnosis, pathology review, staging, pending tests, and second opinions.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Getting a Remote Second Opinion From a Cancer Specialist
Two ways to get a remote cancer second opinion, a telehealth visit or a records-only review, with what to send, what to ask and how Medicare treats second opinions.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Getting a Second Opinion After a Diagnosis
A plain-language guide to getting a second opinion after a cancer diagnosis.
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
GIST & KIT/PDGFRA Mutations Explained
GIST explained: why KIT and PDGFRA testing decides the drug, how imatinib and later TKIs are used, and why GIST is not treated like other sarcomas.
7 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Hairy Cell Leukemia: Diagnosis and Tests
How hairy cell leukemia is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Head & Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma & HPV
HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer has a better prognosis and its own staging system. What HPV status changes, per NCI.
3 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
HER2-Positive and HER2-Low Breast Cancer Care
HER2-low is a new category created by trastuzumab deruxtecan's activity. What IHC 0, 1+, 2+ and 3+ mean, and why an old report may need re-reading.
7 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Hodgkin Lymphoma: Pathology and Molecular Results
How pathology, blood, marrow, chromosome, and molecular results help classify Hodgkin Lymphoma and shape the next discussion.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
How Cancer Is Diagnosed: Tests and Biopsies
A plain-language guide to the tests and procedures used to diagnose cancer, including lab tests, imaging scans, and biopsies
9 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
How Health Anxiety Changes Waiting for Results
Why waiting for results is uniquely hard when you live with health anxiety, what the body does during the wait, and what actually helps.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
How Much Prognosis Information Do You Really Want to Know?
You can ask for as much or as little prognosis detail as you want, and change your mind later. How to ask, and why any number is softer than it sounds.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
How to Ask for a Second Opinion: A Plain-Language Guide
Why a second opinion is routine rather than disloyal, when it matters most, words you can borrow to ask, and which records to gather first.
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
How to Evaluate Cancer Statistics & News
Understanding relative vs. absolute risk, median survival rates, and headline sensationalism.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
How to Get a Second Opinion for Cancer: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to request a second opinion for cancer care — why doctors expect it, how to gather medical records, insurance coverage, and how to evaluate recommendations.
3 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
How to Organize Cancer Records for a Second Opinion
What a second opinion actually needs: slides, imaging on disc, notes, a treatment summary. How to request each, how long it takes, and your access rights.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
I Googled My Cancer Survival Rate and Now I Am Terrified
That survival percentage is a population average from people diagnosed years ago. What it measures, why stage changes it, and what it cannot tell you.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
I Thought I Was Too Young for Cancer
Cancer in young adults is uncommon, not impossible. Rising early-onset colorectal cancer, screening from 45, and how age assumptions delay diagnosis.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Imaging Tests for Cancer: Scans Explained
A plain-language guide to the imaging tests (scans) used in cancer care — CT, MRI, PET, nuclear and bone scans, ultrasound, and X-rays
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Just Diagnosed With Cancer: What to Do First
A calm, plain-language guide to the first steps after any cancer diagnosis: understanding your diagnosis, building your team
3 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
KRAS G12C Mutation in Lung & Colorectal Cancer
KRAS G12C is targetable with sotorasib and adagrasib. In colorectal cancer they need an EGFR antibody partner, and that difference matters.
7 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Liquid Biopsy and Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) Explained
How liquid biopsy and ctDNA blood tests work, when they help, why a negative result does not rule out a mutation, and the emerging role in MRD.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Liquid Biopsy vs. Tissue Biopsy
Liquid biopsy uses blood or another body fluid, while tissue biopsy removes cells or tissue. Learn when each may be used.
2 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Mantle-Cell Lymphoma: Pathology and Molecular Results
How pathology, blood, marrow, chromosome, and molecular results help classify Mantle-Cell Lymphoma and shape the next discussion.
3 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Median Survival Is Not an Expiration Date
A median survival number describes a group, not you. What it means and why published figures lag current treatment.
3 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Merkel Cell Carcinoma Diagnosis: Questions to Ask
Questions to clarify a Merkel cell carcinoma diagnosis, pathology review, staging, pending tests, and second opinions.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Rare Skin Cancer Guide
Merkel cell carcinoma explained: the polyomavirus link, UV and immune risk factors, how it is staged, and the checkpoint drugs used for advanced disease.
6 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Bladder Cancer: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic bladder cancer: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Breast Cancer: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic breast cancer: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic colorectal cancer: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Kidney Cancer: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic kidney cancer: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
9 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Lung Cancer: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic lung cancer: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Lymphoma: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic lymphoma: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Melanoma: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic melanoma: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Ovarian Cancer: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic ovarian cancer: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic pancreatic cancer: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Metastatic Prostate Cancer: What to Ask
A calm guide to the first questions after hearing metastatic prostate cancer: goals, biomarkers, symptoms, trials, and support.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
MRI Scans for Cancer: What to Expect
A plain-language guide to MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in cancer care — how it works, what to expect, and how it differs from CT
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Multi-gene cancer panels: what they are and who pays
Panel tests check many genes at once. NCI says insurance often covers medically necessary genetic counseling and testing; check costs before testing.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Multiple Cancers & Second Primary Tumors
Understanding how second primary cancers differ from recurrence and managing surveillance.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Multiple Myeloma: Diagnosis, Staging & Care
A plain-language clinical breakdown of biomarker testing, diagnostic staging, and treatment options for Multiple Myeloma: Diagnosis, Staging & Care.
6 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Multiple Myeloma: Pathology and Molecular Results
How pathology, blood, marrow, chromosome, and molecular results help classify Multiple Myeloma and shape the next discussion.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Diagnosis: Questions to Ask
Questions to clarify a myelodysplastic syndromes diagnosis, pathology review, staging, pending tests, and second opinions.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Myelofibrosis & JAK2 Gene Mutations
Myelofibrosis explained: JAK2, CALR and MPL mutations, DIPSS risk scoring, JAK inhibitors like ruxolitinib, and why transplant is the only treatment that may cure it.
6 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Diagnosis Questions
Questions to clarify a myeloproliferative neoplasms diagnosis, pathology review, staging, pending tests, and second opinions.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Nasal and Sinus Cancer: Diagnosis and Tests
How nasal and sinus cancer is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With a Brain Tumor: First Steps
Just diagnosed with a brain tumor? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With a Neuroendocrine Tumor: First Steps
Just diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With ALL: First Steps
Just diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With AML: First Steps
Just diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Anal Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with anal cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Bile Duct Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma)?
9 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Bladder Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with bladder cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Brain Tumors: What Now?
A calm first-steps guide after a brain tumor diagnosis: what to confirm, tests, treatment categories, and questions to ask.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Breast Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with breast cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Cervical Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with cervical cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With CLL: First Steps
Just diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With CML: First Steps
Just diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Colorectal Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with colorectal cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With DLBCL: First Steps
Just diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Endometrial Cancer: What Now?
A calm first-steps guide after an endometrial cancer diagnosis: what to confirm, tests, treatment categories, and questions to ask.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Esophageal Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with esophageal cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Follicular Lymphoma: First Steps
Just diagnosed with follicular lymphoma? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Gallbladder Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with gallbladder cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With GIST: First Steps
Just diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)?
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Head and Neck Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with head and neck cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Hodgkin Lymphoma
Just diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Kidney Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with kidney cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Laryngeal Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with laryngeal (voice box) cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Leukemia: First Steps
Just diagnosed with leukemia? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Liver Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with liver cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Lung Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with lung cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Lymphoma: First Steps
Just diagnosed with lymphoma? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Just diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Melanoma: First Steps
Just diagnosed with melanoma? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Mesothelioma: First Steps
Just diagnosed with mesothelioma? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Multiple Myeloma: First Steps
Just diagnosed with multiple myeloma? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Neuroblastoma
Just diagnosed with neuroblastoma? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Oral (Mouth) Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with oral (mouth) cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with ovarian cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with prostate cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Retinoblastoma
Just diagnosed with retinoblastoma? First steps, key tests, treatment questions, and what to clarify next.
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Sarcoma: What Now?
A calm first-steps guide after a sarcoma diagnosis: what to confirm, tests, treatment categories, and questions to ask.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Small Intestine Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with small intestine cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Soft Tissue Sarcoma: First Steps
Just diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Stomach Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with stomach cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Testicular Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with testicular cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Thymoma and Thymic Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with thymoma or thymic cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Thyroid Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with thyroid cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Newly Diagnosed With Uterine Cancer: First Steps
Just diagnosed with uterine cancer? A calm, plain-language guide to your first steps: what happens next, who is on your care team
8 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Pancreatic Cyst Found Incidentally: What Happens Next?
A pancreatic cyst found on a scan for something else: which types are harmless, which can become cancer, and why the criteria rule out few people.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Parathyroid Cancer: Diagnosis and Tests
How parathyroid cancer is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
PET Scans and PET/CT for Cancer
A plain-language guide to PET scans and combined PET/CT in cancer care — how they work and what they show — based on National Cancer Institute resources.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: Diagnosis and Tests
How pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Pituitary Tumors: Diagnosis and Tests
How pituitary tumors is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Positive FIT Test: What Happens Next?
A positive FIT found human blood in a stool sample. NCI says the next step is colonoscopy, not a repeat test, and billing can change after a positive result.
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Preparing for Doctor Appointments
A plain-language guide to getting ready for cancer care appointments
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Primary CNS Lymphoma: Diagnosis and Tests
How primary cns lymphoma is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
3 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Primary Peritoneal Cancer: Diagnosis and Tests
How primary peritoneal cancer is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Questions to Ask Your Oncologist
Plain-language lists of questions to ask your cancer care team about your diagnosis, treatment options, side effects, and daily life
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Rare Cancers & Finding a Specialist
How to seek a second pathology opinion, find an NCI-designated center, and ask about rare cancer research.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Rising Tumor Markers but Stable Scans: What It Means
A rising tumor marker with unchanged scans is common and stressful. Why teams usually repeat and watch rather than change treatment straight away.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Salivary Gland Cancer: Diagnosis and Tests
How salivary gland cancer is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Melanoma Staging
What sentinel node biopsy tells you about melanoma, when it is offered, and why a positive node no longer means removing all the nodes.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy, Explained
A sentinel lymph node biopsy checks the first lymph node or nodes likely to drain a cancer area. Learn what results can mean.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Small Cell vs. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
SCLC and NSCLC differ in pace, staging, and treatment: limited versus extensive stage, chemotherapy with immunotherapy, and gene testing.
6 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Small-Intestine Cancer: Diagnosis and Tests
How small-intestine cancer is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma Diagnosis: Questions to Ask
Questions to clarify a thymoma and thymic carcinoma diagnosis, pathology review, staging, pending tests, and second opinions.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Explained
What triple-negative breast cancer means, who it affects, and how chemotherapy, pembrolizumab, sacituzumab govitecan and PARP inhibitors are used.
7 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Tumor DNA Testing vs. Inherited (Germline) Testing
Two very different tests both get called genetic. Tumor DNA testing looks at changes in a cancer to guide treatment
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Tumor Markers: What They Mean in Cancer Care
A plain-language explanation of what tumor markers are, how they are used in cancer care, and why a single result is read alongside other tests
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Tumor Testing vs. Inherited Genetic Testing
Practical, source-based guidance on tumor testing vs. inherited genetic testing, including planning steps, questions, safety limits, and care-team support.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Understanding Cancer Stage vs. Cancer Grade
Stage is how far a cancer has spread. Grade is how abnormal the cells look. Learn to read both numbers on your report without confusing them.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Understanding Your Pathology Report
A plain-language guide to what a surgical pathology report is, what information it contains, and how tissue is examined
9 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Uveal Melanoma (Eye Cancer) Diagnosis & Care
Uveal melanoma explained: plaque brachytherapy versus enucleation, tumor gene and chromosome 3 testing, liver checks and tebentafusp.
7 min read · Intermediate
Diagnosis & Staging
Vaginal Cancer: Diagnosis and Tests
How vaginal cancer is diagnosed and staged, what tests may show, and questions to ask while results are pending.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Waiting for Biopsy Results: What You Can Do Right Now
A practical guide to managing anxiety, understanding lab processing timelines, and preparing for your follow-up appointment while waiting for biopsy results.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Waiting for Molecular and Biomarker Test Results
Why molecular and biomarker results take weeks, what the laboratory is doing, when treatment should wait, and what 'no actionable alterations' means.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Waiting for Pathology Results: Understanding the Lab Process
Why pathology takes days: fixation, processing, special stains, and second reads. A longer wait usually signals thoroughness rather than bad news.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Waiting for the Biopsy Result
How long biopsy results usually take, what happens to your sample in the lab, why a delay is normally extra staining rather than bad news, and when to chase.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Diagnosis: Questions to Ask
Questions to clarify a Waldenström macroglobulinemia diagnosis, pathology review, staging, pending tests, and second opinions.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What a Biopsy Is Really Like: Procedure Steps & Comfort Tips
Biopsy types, what to expect, how to prepare, and what ACS says about whether biopsies spread cancer.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What a CA 19-9 level means
CA 19-9 is a tumour marker measured in blood. Learn what it is used for, why it is not a screening test, and why some people never produce it at all.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What a combined positive score means
The combined positive score (CPS) is one way labs report PD-L1. It counts immune cells as well as tumor cells, which is why it differs from other scores.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What a D-dimer test means during cancer care
D-dimer is a fragment left when a blood clot dissolves. What a raised result does and doesn't show, and which clot symptoms need urgent attention.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What a Five-Year Cancer Survival Rate Actually Means
What a five-year survival rate measures, why relative matters, why the data are years old, how stage changes it, and why odds improve over time.
7 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What a HER2 IHC score of 2+ means
A HER2 immunohistochemistry score of 2+ is a borderline result. It usually leads to a second, different kind of HER2 test rather than a straight answer.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What a next-generation sequencing report shows
A sequencing report lists gene and protein changes in your cancer and flags any a known treatment targets. How to read one without getting lost.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What a PD-L1 score means on your report
PD-L1 testing looks at a tumor protein to help decide if immunotherapy may help. What the score represents and what it can't promise.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What an insufficient sample result means after a biopsy
Sometimes a biopsy doesn't collect enough usable tissue to answer the question. What that result means, and why it's about the sample, not you.
4 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What an LDH level means in cancer care
LDH is an enzyme that leaks from damaged cells. What the test measures, why it's used in some cancers, and why a raised number alone proves little.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What an Ultrasound Can and Cannot Show
Ultrasound sees soft tissue and fluid well, but cannot see through bone or gas and cannot diagnose cancer. Why a normal scan may not end the workup.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
What Happens During a Multidisciplinary Tumor Board?
What a tumor board is, who sits on it, what happens to your case in the room, and how to ask whether yours was presented.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
When a Second Pathology Review Changes the Diagnosis
Second-opinion pathology review changes the diagnosis in a small but real share of cases. When to ask for it, how to arrange it, and what happens next.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
When Doctors Thought It Was Something Else
Most symptoms are something else, and that reasoning is usually right. Why diagnoses get anchored, and what to say to reopen the question.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
When Imaging, Biopsy, and Blood Tests Seem to Disagree
Why a scan, a biopsy and a blood test can point in different directions, how a tumor board resolves it, and why the biopsy is usually decisive.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
When Your Cancer Stage Changes After Surgery
Upstaging after surgery is common and expected. Why scans under-call microscopic disease, and what a change in stage does and does not mean.
6 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Why Cancer Tumor Markers Rise or Fall
Why tumor markers like CA-125, CEA, PSA and CA 19-9 go up or down — including benign causes, lab variation, and why the trend matters more.
5 min read · Beginner
Diagnosis & Staging
Why the radiologist compares your scan to older ones
Radiologists compare new images with earlier ones to see what has changed. Why that comparison matters and what it can and can't settle.
4 min read · Beginner
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