Day 2 - Staging of Lung Cancer

Day 2 by Lynn Sherwood of 30 Days of Lung Cancer Facts You Didn’t Know You Didn’t Know

“STAGING” of LUNG CANCER

Staging is a way to describe where cancer is located, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body.
Per the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is typically staged as either “Limited” or “Extensive”:
1. “Limited Stage” means that the primary, or original, cancer resides in one lung or in the nearby tissue. It may have spread to nearby lymph nodes or into the tissues between the lungs. It has NOT metastasized to the patient’s other organs
2. “Extensive Stage” means that the cancer has moved (metastasized) outside of the original location of the primary lesion and to other organs and parts of the body, most commonly the brain, liver, and/or bones.

Non-small cell lung cancer staging is typically identified via the TNM system:
1. Tumor (T) describes the size of the original tumor. Lymph node (N) indicates whether the cancer is present in the lymph nodes. Metastasis (M) refers to whether cancer has spread to other parts of the body, usually the liver, bones or brain.
2. A number (0-4) is assigned to each T, N, and M factor. A higher number indicates increasing severity. Once the T, N and M scores have been assigned, an overall stage is assigned.
3. Stages of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer:
  - Occult stage non-small cell lung cancer: Cancer cells are found in sputum (a mixture of saliva and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract); no tumor is found in the lung by imaging tests or bronchoscopy.
  - Stage 0 non-small cell lung cancer: The cancer is very small in size and it has not spread into deeper lung tissues nor outside the lung.
  - Stage I non-small cell lung cancer: Cancer may be present in the underlying lung tissues; lymph nodes remain unaffected.
  - Stage II non-small cell lung cancer: The cancer may have spread to lymph nodes nearby or into the chest wall.
  - Stage III non-small cell lung cancer: The cancer has spread from the lung/s to the lymph nodes or to nearby structures and organs, such as the heart, trachea and esophagus.
  - Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer: The cancer has spread (metastasized) throughout the body and may now affect organs, bones, and soft tissues.