[[{"@type":["BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/evaluating-the-state-of-the-primary-tumor\/#BlogPosting","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":["https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/evaluating-the-state-of-the-primary-tumor\/","https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/evaluating-the-state-of-the-primary-tumor\/"],"publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],"author":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/evaluating-the-state-of-the-primary-tumor\/#BlogPosting_author_Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/evaluating-the-state-of-the-primary-tumor\/#BlogPosting_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Doctors-Talking-About-A-Patients-Cancer.jpg"}],"headline":"The \u2018Primary Tumor\u2019 and the Patient\u2019s Cancer Journey","dateModified":"2021-11-11T12:05:37+00:00","datePublished":"2020-03-24T05:42:43+00:00","description":"Primary tumor evaluations are an important part of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Learn more about what this entails by visiting the Regional Cancer Care Associates blog today.","articleBody":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarch 24, 2020\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nWhen evaluating a patient\u2019s particular form of cancer, physicians at Regional Cancer Care Associates often look to the primary tumor \u2013 the source where cancer originates \u2013 to glean information about the cancer, potential treatment options, and the patient\u2019s overall health status.\nThe primary tumor is the first cancerous tumor that forms. In prostate cancer, the primary tumor originates from prostate tissues. In lung cancer, the primary tumor forms in lung tissues. While the cancer may grow, eventually spread (metastasize) and create new tumors inside the body, the original tumor is still identified as the primary tumor.\nAssessing the Primary Tumor\nOncologists want to find out as much as possible about the primary tumor. First, they need to know exactly where it\u2019s located, because location and orientation can reveal much about a patient\u2019s prognosis. For example, some tumors are located too close to a vital structure (organs, glands, blood vessels, nerves, etc.) to be safely removed with surgery. Other tumors are located in a place that doctors can\u2019t easily reach, such as deep within the brain. In these cases, doctors may forego surgery and instead turn to chemotherapy or radiation.\nSecond, the oncology team needs to evaluate the size of the primary tumor. Is it as small as a pea, as large as a grapefruit, or somewhere between? In most cases, the smaller the primary tumor, the better the outlook for the patient. Small tumors are typically easier to treat, which is why doctors often attempt radiation and other treatments to shrink it.\nThird, doctors must determine the tumor\u2019s genetic makeup. To do this, they\u2019ll take a biopsy of the tumor and examine the cells under a microscope. This can help them understand the exact type or sub-type of the patient\u2019s cancer, which then determines the best course of treatment.\nCancer Staging\nPrimary tumor evaluations often play a major role in cancer staging and grading. While other information is needed, such as the results from blood tests, the status of the primary tumor can indicate whether a patient\u2019s cancer is at stage I (small, in one area), stages II or III (larger, grown into nearby tissues or lymph nodes), or stage IV (advanced, spread to other parts of the body). The stage influences which treatment options are available to a patient and can help predict outcomes.\nOngoing Evaluations\nThe primary tumor is evaluated immediately because doing so often leads to diagnosis. Doctors, however, will continually revisit the tumor and take new assessments over the course of treatment. They need to keep an eye on the tumor to see how it\u2019s responding to the cancer drugs or therapies. For instance, if the tumor shrinks in size, it\u2019s a good sign that treatment is working.\nConversely, if the tumor grows, doctors will know that the treatment plan may need to be adjusted. For the patient, this means going for regular imaging and scans before, during, and after each phase of treatment.\nNo matter where you are on your cancer journey, the team at Regional Cancer Care Associates is here to support you in every way possible. With state-of-the-art equipment and advanced treatment techniques \u2013 plus a long list of ongoing clinical trials \u2013 RCCA helps thousands of people throughout Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey. To make an appointment, please contact the office nearest you.\nwe are here for you\nFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call (844) 301-4158. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the RCCA location nearest you.\nRELATED ARTICLES\nRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\n\u00a9 2022 Regional Cancer Care Associates. All rights reserved.","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/evaluating-the-state-of-the-primary-tumor\/"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"LocalBusiness","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Corporate Office 25 Main Street, Suite 601","postalCode":"07601","addressRegion":"NJ","addressLocality":"Hackensack","addressCountry":"USA","name":"Postal Address","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/#PostalAddress"},"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"1024","height":"468","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"contactPoint":[{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Corporate Office Regional Cancer Care Associates 25 Main Street, Suite 601 Hackensack, NJ 07601 info@regionalcancercare.org Phone: (844) 346-7222","name":"Contact Corporate Office","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#CorporateOffice"},{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (201) 510-0922","email":"msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Media Inquiries: Mary Lou Salvemini Regional Cancer Care Associates Phone: (201) 510-0922 Email: msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","name":"Contact Media Inquiries","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#MediaInquiries"}],"areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey"],"additionalType":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Treatment_of_cancer","alternateName":"RCCA","description":"Leaders in Advanced Compassionate Cancer Care. Fight cancer with leading-edge treatments, experienced skill and local caring\/convenience from one of the nation's largest networks of cancer specialists.","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/rgnlcancercare","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/regionalcancercareassoc","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/10059183","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCFlVzU4UvZcyXBCe9ZSvAUQ"],"telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The \u2018Primary Tumor\u2019 and the Patient\u2019s Cancer Journey","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/evaluating-the-state-of-the-primary-tumor\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]