Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. The severity of the disease depends on its spread to other organs. According to Oncology Channel, most doctors use a form a clinical staging to describe the extent of the disease. The staging is determined after the patient has undergone a complete diagnostic work-up. The different stages of lung cancer are the most important prognostic factors in determining the survival rate of the patient.
Stage 0
MedlinePlus, a website of the National Institutes of Health, defines stage 0 cancer as a mass that has not spread beyond the inner lining of the lung. This means that the tumor is only on the superficial tissue of the lung. The cancer has yet to spread to the surrounding tissues or to any nodes near the lungs.
Stage 1
Stage 1 is described by CancerHelp.org as the stage in which the cancer is small, localized to the lung tissue and with no cancer in the lymph node. Stage 1 encompasses two categories: 1A and 1B. The difference between the two is size. Stage 1 is characterized by a tumor that is less than 3cm, whereas Stage 2 describes a tumor that is 3 to 5cm. There is a 60 to 80 percent chance of surviving five years when the disease is treated at this stage.
Stage 2
CancerHelp.org divides stage 2 lung cancer into 2A and stage 2B. Stage 2A cancer denotes a cancer that is 5 to 7cm in size with no lymph node involvement. It is also assigned when the cancer is less than 5cm with involvement of the lymph nodes close to the tumor.
Several types of masses characterize stage 2B lung cancer. The first is a tumor that is larger than 7cm with no lymph node involvement. Another is a mass that is 5 to 7cm and there is lymph node involvement. Stage 2B is also assigned when there is more than one mass in the same lobe of the lung. Yet another form of stage 2B cancer is characterized by a mass that causes a part of the lung to collapse.
Stage 3
Stage 3 cancer can be broken down into stage 3A and 3B. Stage 3A occurs when the cancer is larger than 7cm and has spread to the nearby lymph nodes. Cancer is usually not treatable by surgery at this stage.
Stage 3B is when cancer has spread to other organs within the chest such as the heart, large blood vessels, trachea or the esophagus. Cancer at this stage needs to be treated by chemo or radiation therapy. There is a 10 to 15 percent chance of surviving five years when the disease is found at this stage.
Stage 4
Stage 4 cancer is the final stage of lung cancer. According to MedlinePlus, stage 4 is when the cancer has spread to other organs of the body such as the other lung, brain, bones or liver. The chance of living for more than five years after contracting stage 4 lung cancer is less than 2 pervent.
