This week's artwork was donated by Lonny, a pediatric cancer patient who received treatment at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . Some citations in the text of this section are followed by a level of evidence. The PDQ editorial boards use a formal ranking system to help the reader judge the strength of evidence linked to the reported results of a therapeutic strategy.
Stage has a critical role in the selection of treatment.
The stage is based on a combination of clinical staging and pathologic staging. Lymphangiography is usually unnecessary if multi-agent chemotherapy is part of the standard approach. However, lymphangiography is used at some centers since it may aid in the design of radiation portals, the detection of subdiaphragmatic disease, and follow-up of patients after completion of therapy. It should not be done in patients who require combination chemotherapy. If the laparotomy is required for treatment decisions, the risks of potential morbidity should be considered.