Shop Plans
Health
Find a Health Plan
We offer a complete choice of plans to meet your coverage needs and fit your budget.
More Plans
Travel
Cancer
VIP
Dental
Get a Dental Plan
We offer three Traditional plans and three Certified plans to meet your needs.
Medicare
Pick a Medicare Plan
Thinking about your Medicare options? Find out which plan is right for you.
Find Doctor or Drug
Find a Doctor
Find a Doctor or Drug
Pick a directory to search or find other helpful information about drug resources, quality programs and more.
Directories
Louisiana Provider Directory
Quality Blue Directory
National Provider Directory
BlueDental Advantage Plus Directory
Davis Vision Directory
Hospital Based Physicians
ER/OR Information
Are you planning a hospital stay? If you just found out that you need surgery, or if you will be admitted to a hospital or ambulatory surgical center for any reason, you will most likely receive some care during your stay from a hospital-based physician. Learn more.
Other Directories
Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core
Federal Employee Program (FEP)
Rx Drug Resources
Manage your medicine, find drug lists and learn how to save money.
Quality Programs
Quality Blue Programs
We work with doctors, hospitals and clinics around Louisiana to make sure you have a better healthcare experience.
Save Money
$25 Gym Memberships
Find a Gym
For just $25 a month and a $25 enrollment fee, you'll have access to 9,000 participating fitness locations around the state and nation.
More Money-Saving Tips
Find Discounts
Lower Drug Costs
Preventive Care Services
Primary Care Doctor
Pick a Primary Care Doctor
Picking a primary care doctor is an important step to staying healthy and saving money.
Choose the Right Care
Where you and go and who you see for treatment is a big part of getting quality healthcare while saving money.
Wellness
Discounts
Get discounts on gym memberships, fitness gear, healthy eating, prescriptions and more.
More Wellness Tips
Tools
Member Programs
Find a Program
Whether you want to quit smoking or find the right doctor, we have many programs to help.
Wellness Library
Learn About Wellness
Read articles, take quizzes, watch videos and listen to podcasts about many health topics.
Learn
Insurance 101
Learn the Basics
Understand your plan, learn about health savings accounts, and watch helpful videos.
Social
Find Us on Social Media
Join the conversation and stay connected with us for exclusive content.
Straight Talk
Get Straight Answers
If you're looking for a straight answer to your healthcare questions, this is the place.
My Account
My Account Information
Claims
Benefits
Costs
Statements
Pharmacy
Manage Account
Manage Your Account
Pay your bill, view your statements or update your email or password.
Forms
Other Coverage Questionnaire
Authorized Delegate
Health Assessment
After cancer is diagnosed, healthcare provides need to learn as much as they can about it. This helps them to plan the best treatment and look at overall outcomes and goals. For many types of cancer, part of this process includes figuring out the cancer grade and stage.
Histologic "grade" is used to describe what the cancer cells look like using a microscope. Most cancers are graded by how much they look like normal cells. Low grade or grade I tumors are well-differentiated. This means that the tumor cells are organized and look more like normal tissue. High grade or grade III tumor cells are poorly differentiated. This means that the tumor cells don't look like normal cells. They're disorganized under the microscope and tend to grow and spread faster than grade I tumors. Cancer cells that do not look well-differentiated or poorly differentiated are called moderately differentiated, or grade II. In general, cancer cells are graded using this scale. (Be aware that some may use grade 3 as the highest grade):
Grade X: grade isn't known
Grade 1: Well differentiated, low grade
Grade 2: Moderately differentiated, intermediate grade
Grade 3: Poorly differentiated, high grade
Grade 4: Undifferentiated, high grade
Once cancer is diagnosed, your healthcare provider will do more exams and tests to find out the size of the cancer and where it is. These exams and test will also help tell whether the cancer has grown into nearby areas and if it has spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. The stage of a cancer is one of the most important things to know when deciding on how to treat the cancer.
Each cancer, by organ, has its own staging system. In most cases, the stages are listed as Roman numerals and can have a value of I through IV (1 to 4). The higher the number, the more advanced the cancer is. Letters and numbers can be used after the Roman numeral to give more details.
Stage 0 or carcinoma in situ. Carcinoma in situ is considered pre-malignant or pre-cancer. Abnormal cells are found only in the first layer of cells in the place where the changes first started. The cells do not invade the deepr tissues. These cells may become cancer over time, so it's good to find and treat them before that happens. Most kinds of cancer do not use this stage.
Stage I. Cancer is only in the cells where it first started and the area is small. This is considered early stage and most curable.
Stage II. Cancer is in the organ where it first started. It may be a bit larger than stage I and/or may have spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Stage III. Cancer in the organ where it first started. It may be larger than stage II and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes and/or other nearby tissues, organs, or structures.
Stage IV. Cancer has spread to organs in other parts of the body ( metastasized). There may be cancer indifferent organs, but it's still the same type of cancer as where it first started. For instance, colon cancer that spreads to the liver is not liver cancer, it's stage IV colon cancer with liver metastasis. The cancer cells in the liver look like the cancer cells in the colon and are treated like colon cancer.
Recurrent. Recurrent cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may come back in the same area or in a different part of the body.
Higher numbers usually mean more extensive disease, larger tumor size, and/or spread of the cancer beyond the organ where it first developed. Higher grade and stage cancers tend to be harder to cure and often require more intense treatments.
Once a stage is assigned and treatment given, the stage is never changed. For example a stage I cancer of the cervix is treated. Two years later, the same cancer has spread and is now found in the lung. It is not now stage IV, but remains stage I, with recurrence to the lung.
The important thing about staging is that it determines the appropriate treatment, helps healthcare providers make a prognosis, and allows for comparison of treatment results.
Cancer grade and stage can be very complex and confusing. Be sure to ask your healthcare provider to explain these details about your cancer to you in a way you can understand.