Questions About Staging And Pain From Tumor Shrinkage

Would esophagel cancer with some lymph involvement and 'lesions' on the liver be considered a Stage IV cancer?   I understand that anything that has spread from it's original site is Stage IV? I just read someplace that "few stage IV patients survive" but I've read posts here and other places of people living 5 or more years.  Are 'lesions' different than tumors?  They did "light up" during a PET scan.

Also...a nurse mentioned that patients sometimes report pain from the tumor location before it shows significant shrinkage.  Has anyone else experienced or heard of this?

Go to the American Cancer Society website.  It will tell you all about staging.

On the pain issue--one of my oncology nurses told me when I felt pain it was the tumor shrinking or dispersing.   The mets are gone and so is the pain!