Everything You Should Know About Lung Cancer Staging

Types of lung cancer

There are different types of cancer that often affect the lungs, and these may include:

• Non-small cell lung cancer 
• Small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer staging

Cancer staging is based on the size of the initial stages of cancer or tumor in the lungs. The cancer staging also helps to determine how far or deep the surrounding tissue goes and how much the tumor spreads into the lymph nodes or other body parts. Each cancer staging contains several combinations of size and spread that fall into the category.

The standard staging may include:

Stage 0 (In-situ) 

Stage 0 (in situ) cancer in the lungs, also known as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), means that the abnormal or cancerous cell is often found in the lining of the airways as a single, non-invisible growth. However, these cancer cells have the limitless potential to spread and develop into cancer.

Treatment options for Stage 0

One of the most used treatment options for stage 0 cancer is surgery. The surgical procedure is often used to remove tumors or cancer in the lungs. The popularly used method is called wedge resection. This treatment option is used to remove a small, wedge-shaped area of the lung.

In some cases, radiation and chemotherapy are not the most common treatment options. However, if surgery is not an option due to the location of the tumor or cancer, then health providers might consider performing a specific treatment called stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in patients.

Stage I

In stage I, the cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. Stage I has been classified into two substages. IA and IB, which are based on the size of the tumor in the lungs. 

Treatment options for Stage I

In stage I NSCLC, the treatment option popularly used is surgery. The surgical procedure used in this stage is known as lobectomy. This is often performed to remove the lobe or the entire lobe of the lung.

Another treatment option for stage I is wedge resection; this is often performed in patients who have other health problems or when removing the entire lobe might be dangerous for the patients. However, most cancer specialists would perform lobectomy because this would increase the chance of a cure.

Patients with this stage of cancer have faced the chance of cancer coming back, which is highly based on the size of the tumor, location, and other factors such as individual medical conditions. There are treatment options such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy after the surgery that might reduce the risk of cancer. This treatment method is also known as adjuvant treatment. 

Stage II

In stage II, the cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes, and in this stage the tumor is larger than in stage I. This stage is also classified into stage II A and IIB, with further identification within those groups to indicate the size and location of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.

Treatment options for Stage II

The treatment options preferred for stage II cancer are neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or sometimes without immunotherapy for patients with stage II. After performing neoadjuvant treatments, people would be healthy enough to undergo surgery. In most cases, the preferred surgery is lobectomy or sleeve resection. In some rare cases, removing a whole lung would be preferred, which is also known as pneumonectomy.

Stage III

In this stage, the cancer has already spread to the lymph nodes, which are located in the chest. Stage III is classified into sub-stages as IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC to highlight the size and location of the tumor and how far it has spread in the lung.

Treatment options for Stage III

The initial treatment options for stage III may include the combination of treatments such as radiation therapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. For stage III cancer, the treatment usually depends on the size of the tumor, whether it's in your lung, the lymph nodes it gets spread to, the patient’s overall medical condition, and how well the patient is responding to the treatment. 

Stage IV

In stage IV, the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body, and this is also called metastatic lung cancer. These stage cancers might be very hard to cure. Treatment options mainly depend on how far the spread has gone and whether the cancer cells have undergone any gene or protein changes and the overall health condition of the patient.

Treatment options for Stage IV

The treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy. These treatment methods are used to relieve the symptoms, but they won’t cure the cancer. There are some other treatments, including photodynamic therapy or laser therapy, which also helped to relieve the symptoms of cancer.

Prevention

There are some risk factors that cause cancer in the lungs. But in some rare cases, people with no risk factors and no symptoms might often get diagnosed with this cancer. With some preventive measures, you can reduce the risk of developing cancer in the lungs.

Here are some ways to reduce your risk of cancer:

• Don’t smoke cigarettes or quit smoking.
• Avoid passive smoking or other substances that harm your lungs.
• Follow a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight.
• Get regular screenings to avoid the risk of developing this cancer.

Studies suggest eating 2 to 6.5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily, depending on one’s energy needs, reduces the risk of lung, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and stomach cancers.