Stages of development of lung cancer

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Le Thien Quang - Internal Oncologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital
Once a patient has been diagnosed with lung cancer, doctors will provide information about the patient's current cancer stage. Understanding the stage of lung cancer can also help people understand the progression of the disease and which parts of the lungs are affected.

1. Why is it important to understand the stages of lung cancer development?

The stage of lung cancer helps determine where the tumor is, its size, and how far the cancer has spread. Each stage provides a common language for patients and doctors to discuss disease progression without using too much technical jargon. Understanding your own cancer stage is also an important part of deciding on the most appropriate treatment option.

2. Developmental stages of lung cancer

Most doctors classify cancer according to the TNM method, specifically as follows:
T- Tumor status: About the size and location of the tumor N- Node: About the lymph nodes involved M- Metastatic status: The cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes Example: If no tumor is present, that stage would be T0. If the cancer has spread to nearby localized lymph nodes, it will be N1.

2.1 Stage of non-small cell lung cancer

At this stage, lung cancer is divided into the following sub-stages:
Covered stage: The tumor has not been detected in the lung but only seen in sputum or water sample through endoscopy only. . Stage 0: Lung cancer cells are gradually found in the lung but only a small part of the inner lining of the lung, the tumor is not spreading cancer. Stage I: Cancer cells begin to appear in the lung but have not spread to other areas Stage II: Cancer cells begin to spread to many places around the lung such as the chest wall, pleura , lymph nodes or membranes surrounding the heart... Stage III: Cancer cells have begun to spread more to other locations, such as in the chest cavity between the heart and lungs. Cancer has a high risk of spreading to the lower neck. Stage IV: Cancer begins to spread to the remaining lung or some other part of our body, at this stage, the cancer cells cannot be removed by surgery anymore.

2.2 Small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer is not usually staged according to the method above because it tends to spread (metastasize) early and is classified into two stages:
Limited stage: The stage Cancer cells were found in only one lung and some surrounding tissues. Extensive stage: In this stage, cancer cells have begun to spread and are found in many places, either in the chest outside the lungs or possibly in other organs further away from the lungs. Staging your lung cancer will help your doctor determine the best treatment. Stage does not necessarily indicate the course and outcome (prognosis) of lung cancer, but prognosis depends on overall health, health, other diseases and response to treatment.

Therefore, early screening and treatment of lung cancer is very important. Currently, at the Vinmec International General Hospital system, the package "Screening and early detection of lung cancer" is being implemented with many advantages:
A team of highly qualified and experienced doctors. Comprehensive professional cooperation with domestic and international hospitals: Singapore, Japan, USA, .. Comprehensive treatment and care, multi-specialty coordination towards individualizing each patient. Having a full range of specialized facilities for diagnosis and staging before treatment: Endoscopy, CT scan, PET-CT scan, MRI, histopathological diagnosis, gene-cell testing, .. There are a full range of mainstream cancer treatment methods: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell transplant...

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