Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging

Finding cancer early, when it's small and before it has spread, often allows for more treatment options.  Some early cancers may have signs and symptoms that can be noticed, but that's not always the case.

After a cancer diagnosis, staging provides important information about the extent of the cancer and how it might respond to treatment.

Doctors often use survival rates as a standard way of discussing a person's outlook (prognosis). Some people want to know the survival statistics for people in similar situations, while others might not find the numbers helpful, or might even not want to know them.

Get some questions you can ask your cancer care team to help you better understand your diagnosis and treatment options.