Lung Cancer Stages - How Lung Cancer is Categorized
Lung cancer stages come into play after a patient has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Testing is done to see how far the cancer has progressed, or where and to what extent the lung cancer has spread. Doctors then use the lung cancer stages to determine the type of treatment that will be most effective.
There are two types of cancer, and each has stages to indicate the advancement of the disease. Non-small cell lung cancer has four stages. Small cell lung cancer has two.
Lung Cancer Stages - Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage 1
In Stage 1, the cancer is still only in the lungs and the underlying tissue of the lungs. At this stage of lung cancer, there is no evidence that the cancer cells have spread into the nearby lymph nodes.
Lung Cancer Stages - Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Stage 2
Stage 2 lung cancer means that the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes that are closest to the lungs. In some cases, the cancer cells have also moved into the chest wall. Stage 2 also indicates that the cancerous tumor has grown in size.
Lung Cancer Stages - Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Stage 3A and 3B
Most Stage 3 lung cancers have spread from the lungs into areas of the chest. In Stage 3A, the cancer has spread into the lymph nodes in the chest, and the tumor is even bigger than in Stage 2.
When the cancer enters Stage 3B, it has moved into the blood vessels, esophagus, trachea and heart. Stage 3B cancer may have also spread into lymph nodes near the collarbone and the tissue surrounding the lungs, known as pleura.
Lung Cancer Stages - Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Stage 4
Stage 4 lung cancer is the most advanced and most deadly type of non-small cell lung cancer. At this stage, the cancer cells have moved outside of the lungs and spread into parts of the body that are further away from the lungs, including the bones, the liver, and even the brain.
There are fewer treatment options once lung cancer has reached Stage 4, and the prognosis for survival is generally low. Unfortunately, many lung cancers are not discovered until they reach this advanced stage because there are so few symptoms during the early lung cancer stages.
Lung Cancer Stages - Small Cell Lung Cancer Limited Stage
Small cell lung cancer is much less common than non-small cell lung cancer, but it is more critical because it spreads more rapidly. Limited stage lung cancer is confined to one lung only and can be treated with surgery. At this stage, some cancer cells may also be found in the lymph nodes closest to the lungs.
Lung Cancer Stages - Small Cell Lung Cancer Extensive Stage
Extensive stage lung cancer is one of the worst forms of lung cancer. At this stage the cancer has already spread to the areas around the lungs. On top of that, this type of cancer spreads quickly, so it moves into other parts of the body faster than other cancers, which makes treatment challenging and survival rare.