Can T staging change T1c=>T2c with path results?

My urologist staged my PC when he diagnosed it (from my second biopsy pre-surgery) as T1c (couldn't detect it with a digital exam, but found with the biopsy after suspicious PSA numbers). I noticed that the path report after surgery said T2c, which I understand means it was able to be felt digitally. I assumed that was a typo since the uro couldn't find it digitally. Can the staging really change from T1c to T2c based on path results though?

I believe the staging T2c in this case means that the tumour was confined but within both lobes of the prostate.
Bill

Good advice and wisdom gentleman. This is common and Bill you are correct in how to read the staging. Now that you are on the other side of surgery you can begin to enjoy your new lease on life and see and do things that might have been otherwise taken for granted. Thanks for sharing and please feel free to join in the conversations.

peace and love
dale

If anybody noticed, I changed my answer above.  I've seen too many AJCC (American Joint Council on Cancer) references...lol.  I linked AJCC2002 for this description but if I used 2007 it would state the palpability of the tumor.  The current table in use is AJCC2007.  From my experience, the tables are reviewed every 5 years.  Very subtle changes.  The last major change was 1997 when T3c was dropped from staging.  However some doctors still use that table.  Confuses me as to why. (both why doctors don't all use the current tables, and as to why they changed it )

It depends on which tables your doctors use.

Tony

Post Edited (TC-LasVegas) : 4/25/2009 10:38:08 AM (GMT-6)

T2c is new newer name for bilateral tumor in general. T2b is a term used to describe tumor found bilaterally with half or more the lobe involved and / or can be felt by DRE. Pathologists wanted a way to just say both lobes so they added T2c to the list.

kcragman, et al,
p ~ as in pT3b like mine ~ indicates a port operative stage. Without the p you have a clinical stage.

Tony