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Dr. Lauren Stegman

Radiation Oncology
Scottsdale, AZ
29 years experience male

Locations

Phoenix Cyberknife and Radiation Oncology Center

Phoenix, AZ

Address

4611 East Shea Boulevard, Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ, US
Directions

My office hours

Thursday: 7:00am - 4:00pm
Show more

Fax

(602) 464-9769

Insurances accepted

BlueCross BlueShield

Cigna

Humana

UnitedHealthcare

Aetna

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)

Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Arizona

Health Net

Medicare

Health Net of Arizona

SCAN Health Plan

Palo Verde Cancer Center - Scottsdale

Scottsdale, AZ

Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center

Phoenix, AZ

About

Bio

Dr. Stegman trained in Radiation Oncology at the world-renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He earned his combined MD and PhD degrees from the University of Michigan, where he studied cancer gene therapy and molecular imaging. Dr. Stegman has published numerous articles in both the basic sciences and clinical radiation oncology, and is experienced in brachytherapy and IMRT for gynecologic, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, head and neck, thoracic, brain, and breast cancers. He also has significant experience with stereotactic body radiosurgery for paraspinal, lung, and liver tumors. He holds a patent for web-based peer-review of scientific and medical journal articles, serves on the Medical Advisory Board of .

Specialties
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.

Radiation Oncology

Doctor Q&A

272 Answers
18 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Needs further eval: I assume this means that the doctor doing the pap smear saw a lesion on the cervix during the pelvic exam. Such a lesion could be a cancer, a benign ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Hopefully: Not enough info given to answer. If ewings was in the spine and pinching the spinal cord causing paralysis prompt treatment can relieve the pressure ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Related: Technically, pernicious anemia (pa) is due to low B12 levels caused by changes in the stomach resulting in decreased ability to absorb the B12 from a ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Many possibilities: There are many reasons for lymph nodes to be enlarged ranging from infection to cancer to even a side effect of some medications. Persistently enlarg... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
No: Patients with some types of leukemia can develop lumps or tumors. Today these are called granulocytic or myeloid sarcomas or extra medullary myeloid ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Protection from Sun: Best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect the skin from the sun with sunscreens and clothing.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Other Treatment: CIS means that there are cancer cells only in the innermost layer of the bladder. It should be treated as the cells will usually start to grow deeper... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Sometimes an option : Women with smaller breast cancers that have not spread outside the breast can often be treated with mastectomy and no radiation or chemotherapy. Some... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Protect from leaking: First chemotherapy is not radiation or radioactive so the precautions after chemotherapy are meant to minimize the chance that people who don't need t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Shields are built in: Radiation therapy machines have the shields built in to them. These shape the radiation to fit the area of the body that needs to be treated and prot... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Appearance with dye: This means the tumor "lights up" after the IV dye is given in the MRI scan. Most pilocytic astrocytomas due this. The tumor will look grey on an MRI... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Depends: There are many kinds of non-hodgkin's lymphoma. Each is treated differently depending on specific type and stage. Commonly some sort of chemotherapy... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Sometimes: Low dose preventative brain radiation is used in small cell lung cancer and some kinds of leukemia which often spread to the brain. The blood-brain b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Sometimes Nothing: This is a common finding and may be part of the normal aging process. Sometimes these spots are called "ubo's" which stands for "unidentified bright ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 20-year-old male asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Take the pills!: You seem to be describing transverse myelitis. Anti-inflammatory medicines by mouth or IV are the best way to quickly protect the spinal cord and hop... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 69-year-old male asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Maybe: The only way to know is to get a full evaluation from a hematologist. There are too many factors that go into making a recommendation regarding treat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
No, a risk factor: Unopposed estrogen is a risk factor for uterine cancer but it does not always cause it. Unopposed estrogen means it is given without any Progesterone... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old male asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Neither: There are only a handful of very rare circumstances where a "tumor marker" blood test can prove that someone has a cancer. This is because many tumor... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Possibly: A new breast lump, even in a younger woman, needs to be thoroughly evaluated as it might be cancerous. Please see a doctor. The best place to start ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
T Stages: I think you are talking about primary tumor stage (eg t stage). T4a is a breast tumor that has grown into the chest wall, t4b is one that basically i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
T Stages: I think you are talking about primary tumor stage (eg t stage). T4a is a breast tumor that has grown into the chest wall, t4b is one that basically i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
It : It depends what kind of cancer. There are some types of cancer that can be detected by special blood tests, although many of these tests can be abnor... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
You : You should see your doctor to check this out and reassure you.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Immune Cytokine: Tnf-alpha is the prototypic member of a family of protein "hormones" made by the immune system that can cause some cancer cells to kill themselves. I... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Yes: It is unusual, but possible, for acute leukemia or other blood cancers to cause heart problems by blocking blood flow to the heart, growing in the the... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Hard to Know: Many healthy people get cancer. Stage IV just means that the cancer has spread around the body away from where it started (metastases). Some cancers... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Listed below: The most common are: white, red, or red/white patches in the mouth, a sore that won't heal, bleeding in the mouth, pain or trouble swallowing, loose ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
? Not Clear: Not sure what you mean by "cancer bruises". Some cancer patients get bruises because either the cancer or the treatment thins the blood and they are ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
? Not Clear: No specific disease results in formation of carcinoma in both frontal lobes. Carcinomas do not form in the brain, but spread (metastasize) there fro... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Many Types: There is not really a single "most advanced"type of radiation therapy. There are many advanced technologies each of which has some advantages and dis... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 58-year-old male asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Very Rare: Desmoid tumors do not arise directly in the brain, however, these tumors can rarely occur intracranially, meaning inside the skull. This has been repo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
No test is 100%: The sensitivity of MRI and ct scans depends partly on the type of cancer and the location in the body. In general, they can find tumors that are a fe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 45-year-old male asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Impossible to Know: I am sorry for your loss. We don't expect cancer to take our loved ones from us so quickly after a diagnosis, but cancer can grow to be very large or... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Only in some: Lymph nodes can be thought of as filters in the body. Nodes can sometimes "catch" cancer cells as they begin to spread outside the organ or tissue wh... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
I : I presume you already had surgery and hope you are doing well. You are correct that thymomas are very rare tumors with only about 500 diagnosed every... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Radiation : Radiation therapy will only affect fertility if the testicles or ovaries receive treatment. Therefore this is usually only an issue for patients with... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
The : The amount of hair lost in the region also depends on the type of radiation treatment given and the dose.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 49-year-old female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
CLL : Cll is a very slow growing type of cancer. Most patients are diagnosed in the earlier stages of the disease and more than half of them will live a 12... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 49-year-old male asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
If : If you don't already have an appointment with the doctor who ordered these blood tests you should make one to go over the results. Hopefully you have... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 58-year-old male asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
An : An elevated blood ammonia level is usually due to liver failure. High blood ammonia levels can cause serious symptoms including severe confusion and ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
There : There can be many reasons for blood in the urine, some mild but som very serious. If you can see blood in the urine you need to see a doctor soon to ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Women : Women can develop uterine prolapse in which the uterus falls into the vagina. This can sometimes be taken care of with a pessary; a device placed in ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
It : It sounds like you have what is called steatorrhea which means "fatty stools". The yellow stuff is undigested fat. There can be many causes for this... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 19-year-old male asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Depends...: Depends on the cause of the decrease. Best to speak with your physician and possibly get a referral to a hematologist to diagnose the problem and def... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 43-year-old female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Possibly: Radiation to the hands and feet can cause chronic swelling. Any persistent problems afterbradiation should be evaluated by a radiation oncologist, pr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Depends: Depends on the type if surgery. Speak with your surgeon.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Depends: Basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, melanomas and merkel cell carcinomas, to name a few of the more common skin cancers, can all look di... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Depends: Some people have special cancer insurance policies that pay extra if the policyholder is diagnosed with cancer. There are also many organizations th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 50-year-old female asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Ask Why: Neurofibromas that cause symptoms like pain, numbness, or weakness sometimes need treatment. Usually this would entail surgical resection, but for tu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Lauren Stegman
Radiation Oncology 29 years experience
Very Unlikely: Fibroadenomas are benign tumors of the breast. They are quite common and are not precancerous. Very rarely there have been cases reported where a fi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Testimonials
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.

8
Recommendations
362
Thank you notes
Mar 27, 2013
Knowledgeable doctor I have known since medical school.
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
In January of 2012 I was diagnosed with stage 4 head and neck cancer. With all of the various Doctors and treatment recommendations, my wife and I were pretty much in a fog looking for professional g...Read More
HealthTap member
Dec 16, 2012
It was by luck that Dr. Stegman found me. I was sent to Good Sam. Hospital not knowing I had a LARGE brain tumor that after surgery, I was told it was , Adenocarcinoma (cancer). The surgeon consulted ...Read More
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer or tip was very helpful! I so appreciate your input since I usually develop ugly post surgical scars. I am interested in XRT.
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer or tip was very helpful! This information was for a friend. He is on chemo and seems much better at this time. God Bless
HealthTap member
I agree, I have been to see my gp and am waiting for a referral but just wanted to see if any1 could have a look. So that didn't really help

Education & Training

Medical/Graduate school

University of Michigan Medical School
Graduated 2002MD

Medical/Graduate school

University of Michigan
Graduated 2002MD

Medical/Graduate school

Brown University
Graduated 1994MD

Residency

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Residency

Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center

Awards

Top Doctor, Phoenix Magazine: 2009, 2011, 2013
Top Doctor, Phoenix Magazine 2001
Medical Scientist Training Program Grantee, NIH

Affiliations

American Society for Therapeutic Radiology & Oncology
American Society of Clinical Oncology
Phoenix Cyberknife and Radiation Oncology Center
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