Lung cancer stages
When a patient is diagnosed with lung cancer, the doctor will want to do further tests to find out the stage the cancer has reached. Staging is important because it helps doctors decide on the best treatment, and it gives a guide to the patient’s likely outlook.
Staging of NSCLC measures whether or how far the cancer has spread, and the size of the tumor. The stages range from Stage IA (early cancer with a good chance of recovery) to Stage 4 (advanced cancer). You can find information about all the different non-small cell lung cancer stages using the menu on the left.
Small cell lung cancer has a simpler staging system: it is classified simply as “limited” or “extensive”.
Grading lung cancer
Cancer grading is defined by the cells’ appearance under the microscope. Cells that look very abnormal are likely to spread more aggressively. These are called high-grade. Cancer cells that have a more normal appearance are called low-grade, and tend to spread more slowly. Non-small cell lung cancers tend to be less aggressive than small cell cancers.
