Lung Cancer Stages

Understanding the stages of lung cancer can help you to understand a lung cancer diagnosis better. Lung Cancer Stages also help doctors understand how to treat lung cancer. It is very important that cancer is staged and that those stages are understood when it comes to dealing with lung cancer.

Staging Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer Stages refer to the extent of the lung cancer. The different stages represent the spreading of the cancer to other areas in the lungs, chest and body. The stage is assigned upon diagnosis and studying of the extent of the cancer. The Lung Cancer Stages are then used to prepare a course of treatment.

There are four general stages of lung cancer. They are referred to as Stage 1, 2,3 and 4. It can take several steps to determine the stage at which the lung cancer has progressed. These test may involve x-rays, scans and blood work. The stages from 1 to 4 go from less severe to the most severe.

The Stages

The different stages are pretty exact in describing just how much the lung cancer has spread. The following explains each stage:

Stage 1: Cancer is only found in the lung.
Stage 2: Cancer has spread but is only in the chest.
Stage 3: Similar to Stage 2, but with more cancer cells present and possiblyfurther spreading.
Stage 4: Cancer has spread beyond the lungs and is found elsewhere in the body.

Using Staging

Upon presenting to a doctor, a lung cancer patient will begin testing to determine the stage at which the lung cancer is at. Knowing the stage will allow the doctor to put together a good treatment. The lower Lung Cancer Stages require less intensive treatment then the higher Lung Cancer Stages.

In general, patients diagnosed with higher staged lung cancer have a lower survival rate than those in lower staged lung cancer. The more extensive the cancer and the more wide spread within the body, the harder it is to treat the cancer.

Additionally, cancer that has spread is no longer able to be removed by surgery. Surgical removal of cancer cells can greatly increase the chances of survival because those cells are no longer in the body and therefore can no longer spread to other parts of the body. When cancer has already spread in the body surgery is not recommended since it is very difficult to remove all cancer.

It is usually regarded as pointless to remove just some cancer and leave other cancer cells behind. Lung Cancer Stages are very important to patients and doctors so that a proper treatment course can be followed. Without this understanding about the progression of the cancer, treatment may not be effective.

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