During a physical exam your healthcare provider may suspect lung cancer based on symptoms or certain risk factors that are present. There are several diagnostic tests your physician may use to determine if cancer is present. These include:
- Chest x-ray
- Sputum cytology
- CT scan
- Biopsy
- Surgery
- PET scan
- Bronchoscopy
- MRI
These tests will help determine the type of lung cancer that is present. There are two main types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Non-small cell lung cancer makes up about 85% of all lung cancers. Adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and large cell carcinomas are types of NSCLCs. Both NSCLC and SCLC can be further broken down into stages depending on the location and growth of the cancer cells.
NSCLC can be broken down into four stages
- Stage I – cancer cells are only in the lungs and have not spread to other organs in the body. Stage I can be further broken down into IA and IB based on the size of the tumor. Tumors less than 3cm wide are IA and tumors that are from 3cm-5cm are IB
- Stage II – cancer cells are in the lungs and nearby lymph nodes. It can also be broken down into IIA and IIB. Stage IIA are tumors that are 5cm-7cm and has not spread to the nearby lymph nodes or a small tumor less than 5 cm that has spread to the nearby lymph nodes. Stage IIB is classified as a tumor that is between 5cm-7cm that has spread to the lymph nodes or a tumor larger than 7cm that may or may not have grown into other areas of the lung, but not into the lymph nodes
- Stage III – the cancer is found in the lungs, lymph nodes, and in the middle of the chest Stage III can be broken down into subcategories based on the location and size of the tumor in the chest
- Stage IV – the cancer may be in both lungs, the fluid around the lungs, or to another organ such as the liver or brain
SCLC can be broken down into two stages:
- Limited stage – cancer is found on the side of the chest and nearby lymph nodes
- Extensive stage – cancer has spread to other regions of the chest, nearby lymph nodes, and at times other organs
Once your cancer has been diagnosed and classified into a stage, your Clearview cancer physician will discuss your available treatment options. Treatment options will vary for each patient depending on the type and stage of the lung cancer. Your physician may use one or more of the following treatment options:
