Lung Cancer Staging and Corresponding Treatments

One of the serious health problems that the world is facing today is lung cancer. A disease that can cause death only because of cigarette smoking. The most common death in men and second in women. It affects so many people and including their families.

Lung disease is a condition of cancer cells that are growing uncontrollably, destroys healthy cells and the lungs. To determine the cancer type and stage, tests are being done. International Union Against Cancer (UICC) designed a lung cancer staging system to help them for treatments. Once the stage and type is determined, oncologists can then provide treatment options for patients.

Lung cancer is divided into two types, non small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Lung cancer staging for non small cell cancer type is very important. TNM staging system has been developed for this reason. The acronym TNM means tumor, nodes and metastasis. It can help the oncologists describe the size of the tumor, and extent spread of cancer.

There are different staging systems for the two cancer types. As mentioned earlier, NSCLC type uses TNM staging. Oncologists find it difficult to describe SCLC type if using the TNM staging system. For SCLC type, it has been divided into two sub stages, extensive stage and intensive stage. SCLC can spread quickly and mostly not visible when scanned. There is a possibility that it has already spread to the opposite lungs or beyond the lungs.

Lung cancer staging system defines the size and desolation done by tumor on your lungs. The treatment is based entirely with the cancer type and stage. Stage 1 NSCLC is still limited in one particular area of your lung. Surgical resection is an option for treatment. For stage 2 NSCLC, although the tumor could have already grown to 7 cm in diameter or more than that, surgery is still one of the options and additional treatment is radiation therapy. A combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the recommended treatments for stage 3 NSCLC. The cancer cells has already reached the lymph nodes and affects the blood vessels of the heart and lungs. The dangerous stage is stage 4 NSCLC. Fluids form around the lungs and cancer cells can spread to the brains. The treatment options are only chemotherapy, radiotherapy or combination of both.

SCLC follows a different treatment guidelines based on its two sub stages. Tumor found in one particular area or present only in one lung can be treated with radiotherapy and a single chemotherapeutic drug can successfully treat limited stage SCLC. However, radiotherapy for extensive stage SCLC is reserved if ever a patient is not responding for chemotherapy and there are two commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs.

The behavior of cancer cells in our body are different in so many ways. And so thus the staging system and treatment options. It is important as well for a lung cancer patient to understand the lung cancer staging system. It can give them an idea with the level of damage to the body due to smoking.