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Stages of
Non Small Cell Lung
Cancer (NSCLC)
NSCLC is classified according to the TNM
system suggested by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC).
The staging system takes into account the primary tumor
characteristics (T1-T4, see table below), lymph nodes involvement
(N0-N3, see table below), and the presence (M1) or absence (M0) of
distant metastasis.
The combination of the different
characteristics of the tumor (the specific T, N, and M) gives the
stage of the disease in each patient. Presence of distant metastasis
denotes stage IV disease. The TNM combinations indicating Stages
I-III diseases are described in the table below.
Stages of Small Cell Lung
Cancer
Small cell lung cancer staging
defines “limited” (limited to one hemi-thorax) versus “extensive”
disease. Most patients present with extensive disease (60-70%), and
about 30-40% with limited disease.
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