lung cancer staging

Finding out that you or one of your family members has been diagnosed with lung cancer is definitely shocking news. All black thoughts from the world gather inside your head and you see no possible way out from this disaster. But do not lose hope yet. First of all you have to wait for the doctors to decide the staging of the lung cancer.

The lung cancer staging is very important as it can decide how the treatment will be implemented later on. The staging shows how much the cancer has invaded the body and it also shows the chances of survival in a certain way.

Going to the doctor’s for a check as soon as you see that you cough a lot or are short of breath, and you are tired all the time is a must. Do not wait for coughing with blood and intensive loss of weight until you go to the doctor. It might be too late as these last symptoms mostly occur in lung cancers that are in their last stages. Having a lung cancer diagnosed in an early stage is a whole lot different than having a lung cancer diagnosed in its last stage when practically nothing can be done to treat the disease.

The lung cancer staging is made by appreciating the size of the tumor (T), the presence or absence of the affected lymph nodes (N) and the presence of metastasis (M). This is the TNM staging. For a more accurate staging doctors combine the TNM staging with the Roman classification starting from 0 to IV.
For example, stage 0 contains a tumor in situ, meaning that the tumor is situated only in the layer of cells lining the air passage. N0 and M0-meaning that the lymph nodes are not affected and metastases are not present. This stage can be cured by surgery and does not request chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Stage IA and IB contain only the tumor, a little bit more developed but with no lymph nodes affected and no metastasis present. Surgery followed by chemotherapy is mostly recommended.

In stage II A and B the tumor is present along with the nearby affection of the lymph nodes. Metastasis is absent. Treatment can be done by surgery followed by radiotherapy. In patients that are not eligible for surgery, radiotherapy can be done alone.

Stage III A and B contain a more advanced tumor and more lymph nodes affected than stage II. Surgery at the beginning at the treatment is only rarely used in these cases. The treatment mostly relies on chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. More often after finishing chemotherapy surgery can be done.

Stage IV is the most advanced stage of lung cancer. In stage IV metastases have appeared and the treatment can only be done to extent survival and take the pain away. External beam radiation therapy and chemotherapy can treat complications that occur, but they can not cure cancer.

After seeing these stages you understand why it is vital to go to the doctor every time you feel there is something wrong with your body. Cancer is something that can be prevented and you are the only one who can do this first.