stages of Lung cancer
dinmenace - 06-30-11 23:17

Lung cancer staging is an assessment of the degree of spread of the cancer from its original source. In most studies, it is the most important factor affecting the prognosis and potential treatment of lung cancer.

Staging varies for the two major cell types of lung cancer (non-small cell lung carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma). It is normally done prior to attempts at curative therapy, and usually consists of an extensive battery of tests, to include physical examination, laboratory tests, imaging studies, and/or biopsies and other invasive procedures (such as mediastinoscopy). Non-small cell lung carcinoma is usually staged from IA ("one A"; best prognosis) to IV ("four"; worst prognosis). Small cell lung carcinoma has traditionally been classified as limited stage (confined to one half of the chest and within the scope of a single tolerable radiotherapy field) or extensive stage (more widespread disease).

For both NSCLC and SCLC, there are two general types of staging evaluations:

Clinical Staging: evaluated prior to definitive surgery, and typically based on the results of physical examination, imaging studies, and pertinent laboratory findings. Does not necessarily involve a pathologist.

Pathological Staging: usually evaluated either intra- or post-operatively, and based on the combined results of surgical and clinical findings.