The stage of lung cancer indicates how large the tumour is, its location within the lung, if it has invaded nearby tissues, and if it has spread to other parts of the body. Staging informs your treatment plan. It also provides valuable information about the likely progression and outcome of the disease (your prognosis).
The stage of lung cancer indicates how large the tumour is, its location within the lung, if it has invaded nearby tissues, and if it has spread to other parts of the body. Staging informs your treatment plan. It also provides valuable information about the likely progression and outcome of the disease (your prognosis).
The most widely used system for staging non-small cell lung cancer is the TNM staging system. In this system:
Based on the tumour characteristics (size, spread to lymph nodes, and metastasis), each tumour is assigned a TNM score, which determines its stage.
Non-small cell lung cancer is categorized into five stages, from stage 0 to stage 4. Stages 1-4 are often written using Roman numerals: I, II, III, and IV. A higher stage number means the cancer is more advanced or has spread more extensively.
For treatment purposes, doctors categorize small cell lung cancer into two main stages:
For a detailed overview of staging non-small cell lung cancer visit: your comprehensive guide to lung cancer.
