Non-small cell lung cancer is staged using the same techniques and equipment as diagnosis. The cancer's stage is determined according to its level of advancement. There are very early stages, like Occult, which indicates that while cancer cells have been found there is no tumor evident, or Stage 0, where cancer cells are only found on surface cells and not within lung tissue. Stage I non-small cell lung cancer remains in the lungs and has not yet spread to the lymph nodes or other tissues, or the tumor is 5 cm or smaller; other criteria may also determine this stage. Stage IIA non-small cell lung cancer may have spread beyond the lungs to the chest wall, lymph nodes, or other nearby areas but the tumor remains small, or the tumor is larger but has not spread beyond the membrane covering the lung. In Stage IIB, the tumor is larger and may have spread to the lymph nodes, the membrane around the heart, or other nearby areas, or there may be a second tumor in the same lobe of the lung. Stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the chest cavity, or the diaphragm or other parts of the abdomen near the lungs; the tumor may be any size. Stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer has spread to other organs and structures in the chest cavity, including the trachea, esophagus, heart, blood vessels, the pleura, or membrane around the lungs, or the lymph nodes at the collarbone. Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer is the most advanced stage, where the cancer has spread throughout the body to distant organs and structures like the brain, liver, or bones.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
The most common type of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) affects tens of thousands of people each year. With three primary types of NSCLC, this disease accounts for about 80% of all lung cancer, the deadliest type of cancer in the U.S. among both men and women. Adenocarcinoma, the most common form of NSCLC, typically develops in the outer portion of our lungs. Our lungs remove carbon dioxide from our body and supplies oxygen to it. Although smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer, other risk factors include exposure to radon gas and asbestos. Previous radiation therapy and a family or personal history of lung cancer also increases your risk. Lung cancer may not show symptoms in the beginning; however, visit your doctor if you have a persistent cough, shortness of breath, see blood after you cough or have chest pain.
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Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answeredSee All 5 AnswersNon-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer, in which malignant tumors start growing in your lungs. As many as 87 percent of lung cancers are non-small cell carcinomas. Adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma are all types of non-small cell lung cancer.
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Penn Medicine answeredSee All 2 AnswersA number of treatments are available for people who have been diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer:
Surgery- Wedge resection is surgery to remove a tumor and some of the normal tissue around it. When a slightly larger amount of tissue is taken, it is called a segmental resection.
- Lobectomy is surgery to remove a whole lobe (section) of the lung.
- Pneumonectomy is surgery to remove one whole lung.
- Sleeve resection is surgery to remove part of the bronchus.
- Three-dimensional (3-D) conformal radiation treatment
- Intensity-modulated radiation treatment (IMRT)
- Internal radiation treatment or brachytherapy
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
- Stereotactic radiosurgery. Also called radiation surgery, radiosurgery and stereotaxic radiosurgery.
- Proton therapy
Laser therapy
Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
Watchful waiting (expectant management)
Chemoprevention
Biologic therapy -
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Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answeredSee All 2 Answers
Non-small cell cancer is diagnosed after a number of increasingly invasive tests. Imaging tests, such as X-rays or CT scans, are generally done first, and they allow the doctor to see lesions within your lungs. Your doctor may also look at the mucus (sputum) you cough up to see if any cancer cells are present. If imaging and sputum tests are not conclusive, your doctor may do a tissue biopsy, a procedure in which a needle is inserted into the possibly cancerous area to determine whether it is cancerous.
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Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answeredSee All 2 Answers
Small-cell lung cancer is often a deadly disease, although it can be cured, and you will most likely be dealing with the condition for the rest of your life. Prognosis for small-cell lung cancer is better the sooner the condition is diagnosed. If your doctor catches it early, there is a 50/50 chance you will live for another 5 years. If the cancer has spread before your doctor detects it, those chances are much slimmer.
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HealthyWomen answeredSee All 2 AnswersThere are three types of non-small cell lung cancer:- Adenocarcinoma makes up about 40% of lung cancers. This type usually starts along the outer edges of the lungs in the small airways. People with a type of adenocarcinoma called adenocarcinoma in situ (previously called bronchioloalveolar carcinoma) generally do better than those who have other types of lung cancer. This type may be seen in both smokers and nonsmokers.
- Squamous cell carcinoma makes up about 25-30% of lung cancers. These tumors are usually found in the middle of the lungs, near a major airway. It's almost always caused by smoking. Squamous cell carcinoma most often starts in cells of the central airway (bronchi), the largest branch of the lung's passages.
- Large-cell (undifferentiated) carcinomas are a group of cancers with large, abnormal-looking cells. They may appear in any part of the lung.
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HealthyWomen answeredA wide variety of chemotherapy drugs are used for the treatment of non-small lung cancer, and sometimes, two different chemotherapy drugs are given at the same time.
The most common combinations include the use of carboplatin (Paraplatin) or cisplatin (Platinol), in combination with a second drug.
Other commonly used drugs are:- docetaxel (Taxotere)
- paclitaxel (Taxol)
- vinorelbine (Navelbine)
- gemcitabine (Gemzar)
- irinotecan (Camptosar)
- etoposide (VePesid)
- vinblastine (Velban)
- pemetrexed (Alimta)
Studies have shown that combinations of two chemotherapy drugs work just as well as combinations of three drugs, and that two-drug combinations produce fewer side effects.
If non-small cell lung cancer returns after treatment, the drugs typically used for therapy are docetaxel (Taxotere), pemetrexed (Alimta) and erlotinib (Tarceva). -
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Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answeredSee All 2 Answers
The most effective way to completely remove the malignant tumors found in bronchoalveolar carcinoma is surgery. People whose tumors are removed surgically have a lesser chance that their cancer will return. However, the long-term prognosis of bronchoalveolar carcinoma depends on what stage the cancer is in when you begin treatment. For instance, one study monitored the five year survival rate of people with three different stages of bronchoalveolar carcinoma. All of the people whose cancer was diagnosed and treated in an early stage (stage one) survived past five years, while those whose cancer was treated in the third or fourth stage had a 60 percent survival rate.
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Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answeredSee All 2 Answers
Surgery for non-small cell lung cancer aims to remove diseased tissue, as well as a portion of the surrounding healthy tissue, to keep lung cancer from returning. Different surgeries may be used. A lobectomy removes an entire lobe of one lung. A wedge resection removes a smaller part of lung tissue, including the tumor and some of the surrounding healthy tissue. A segmental resection removes a larger part of the lung than the wedge resection, but stops short of removing a whole lobe. If you must have an entire lung surgically removed, the procedure is known as a pneumonectomy.
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Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered
Bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC) is a sub-category of adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer that occurs in the marginal parts of the lungs. Bronchoalveolar carcinoma grows near the lung's air sacs (alveoli) or either of the two windpipes that branch out from the trachea to each lung (bronchi). Lung cancer is usually classified by which type of carcinoma cell invades the lungs. The types of carcinoma can be broken into small cell (appearing smaller than normal cells and attacking more aggressively) and non-small cell. Non-small cell carcinoma includes large cell (appearing bigger than normal cells), squamous cell (usually flat and found lining internal organs), or adenocarcinoma (usually appears similar to a gland), of which bronchoalveolar carcinoma is a sub-type.