Lung cancer stages are vital in the determination of the extent of the damage caused by the cancer cells in the lungs. The diagnosis of which lung cancer stage a patient belongs will typically determine the type of lung cancer treatment options he may need. Physicians will usually determine the stage of the lung cancer through the number staging system or the TNM system.
The TNM system is less commonly used which takes into account the following factors in the staging of lung cancer: size of the tumor, the extent of damage to the lung tissues and lymph nodes, and the rate of metastasis of the cancer cells through the other parts of the body. The number staging system consists of 4 main groups ranked in number which is the main subject of this article on lung cancer stages. The lung cancer survival rate will also depend on the lung cancer stages where a patient belongs.
Stage 1 Lung Cancer
The cancer cells are limited in localized areas of the lungs. The condition is already present without causing the manifestations of symptoms. The lung cancer may be diagnosed by incidental x-ray results. Common symptoms experienced at this stage include cough, recurrent pneumonia and bronchitis, weight loss, and fatigue.
Treatment option for stage 1 lung cancer is surgery. There are different surgical procedures available from invasive to less invasive techniques that are designed to remove cancer cells and damaged lung tissues.
Stage II Lung Cancer
At this stage the cancer cells have grown to 7 cm or bigger and it has spread throughout the lymph nodes located within the growth area of the tumor as it invades the surrounding tissues of the lung. It also begins to reach the bronchial tubes. Surgical resection of the lung tissues is the treatment choice for stage II lung cancer. Additional treatment for surgery in the form of radiation therapy is often required when the resection of the lung tissues is closer to the tumor. The radiation therapy can help prevent tumor re-growth and recurrence of the cancer cells.
Stage III Lung Cancer
The cancer cells reach to spread on the lymph nodes through the center of the chest. It can also affect the blood vessels of the heart and lungs. In some cases the cancer cell also moves to spread on the lower neck area. Combination treatment using radiation therapy and chemotherapy are the preferred treatment at this stage of lung cancer. The appearance of nodes along the chest area requires surgical removal and a histopathologic test usually indicates cancer on the lymph nodes.
Stage IV Lung Cancer
This is the malignant stage of lung cancer where fluids begin to form around the lungs resulting to a condition called malignant pleural effusion. The cancer cells also tend to spread to the brains and bones. The uncontrolled metastasis of the cancer cells makes a patient unresponsive to treatment. Oftentimes the treatment option only involves chemotherapy or comfort care treatment or both. Chemotherapy helps in relieving symptoms at this stage of the disease.
It is notable that the kind of treatment options provided for patients are dependent on the lung cancer stages which manifest varying degrees of damage to the body caused by the cancer cells.
