Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSurviving Lung CancerNSCLC StagesSCLC StagesWhere Does It Spread?PrognosisWhat to Expect
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Surviving Lung Cancer
NSCLC Stages
SCLC Stages
Where Does It Spread?
Prognosis
What to Expect
Lung cancer prognosis tends to be better for people diagnosed in earlier stages of the disease. Once you have received a diagnosis and the type of cancer has been identified, your healthcare provider will use imaging tests and biopsy results to stage it. Staging determines how advanced the cancer is and if it has spread.
Staging helps healthcare providers identify the most effective treatment options and your likely prognosis (outcome). The two most common types of cancer are staged and treated differently.
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Lung cancer prognosis depends on many variables, such as your overall health, the type of cancer you have, and the stage at diagnosis.
Lung cancer is staged according to how large the tumor is and how far it has spread:
People who are younger and/or diagnosed before the cancer spreads outside the lung generally have a better prognosis.
There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.People with non-small cell lung cancer tend to have a better prognosis than people with small cell lung cancer.
The five-year relative survival rate describes how many people with lung cancer will still be alive after diagnosis. Keep in mind that survival statistics are compiled based on the outcomes for many different people, so they can’t be used to make accurate predictions about how an individual with lung cancer might do over the long term.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stages
Non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer.
TNM Staging SystemThe TNM system is used to stage non-small cell lung cancer, based on the following considerations:Tumor (T): What is the size of the tumor?Nodes (N):Has cancer spread into thelymph nodes? If so, how many lymph nodes are affected and in which areas of the body?Metastasis (M): Has cancer spread to the other lung or other organs?
TNM Staging System
The TNM system is used to stage non-small cell lung cancer, based on the following considerations:Tumor (T): What is the size of the tumor?Nodes (N):Has cancer spread into thelymph nodes? If so, how many lymph nodes are affected and in which areas of the body?Metastasis (M): Has cancer spread to the other lung or other organs?
The TNM system is used to stage non-small cell lung cancer, based on the following considerations:
There are five stages of NSCLC:
Small-Cell Lung Cancer Stages
Small cell lung cancer(SCLC), also known as “oat cell cancer,” occurs in approximately 15% of cases. SCLC occurs most often in smokers. It is highly aggressive and spreads rapidly. Approximately 84% of people diagnosed with SCLC have metastatic disease when they are diagnosed.This means cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
SCLC is classified into two stages:
Does lung cancer progress quickly?Lung cancer often progresses quickly, depending on the type of lung cancer diagnosed. Small cell lung cancer spreads more rapidly than non-small cell lung cancer. On average, lung cancers double in size in approximately four to five months.
Does lung cancer progress quickly?
Lung cancer often progresses quickly, depending on the type of lung cancer diagnosed. Small cell lung cancer spreads more rapidly than non-small cell lung cancer. On average, lung cancers double in size in approximately four to five months.
Where Does Lung Cancer Typically Spread?
Lung cancer can spreadwhen cancer cells break away from the original tumor and travel through the bloodstream orlymphatic systemand form new tumors in other parts of the body. Lung cancer can spread to any part of the body, but the most common areas include the brain, bones, adrenal glands, liver, and lymph nodes.
Iflung cancerspreads elsewhere, it is still referred to as lung cancer. For example, if it spreads to the bones, it would be called lung cancer with bone metastases.Some of the common sites lung cancer spreads to include:
How do you know if lung cancer is spreading?If lung cancer is progressing and/or spreading to other areas of the body, you may notice physical changes, depending on the area of the body where the cancer cells have metastasized. You may feel more fatigued, have a persistent cough, feel shortness of breath, feel nauseous, or experience pain in other parts of the body (e.g., abdomen).
How do you know if lung cancer is spreading?
If lung cancer is progressing and/or spreading to other areas of the body, you may notice physical changes, depending on the area of the body where the cancer cells have metastasized. You may feel more fatigued, have a persistent cough, feel shortness of breath, feel nauseous, or experience pain in other parts of the body (e.g., abdomen).
A prognosis is an estimate of how lung cancer will affect you and how the type/stage you have will respond to treatment.
For NSCLC, your healthcare provider may use the Lung Cancer Prognostic Index (LCPI) to determine your prognosis. This tool weighs several factors—including the stage and type of lung cancer, your medical history, smoking history, sex, and age—to make an estimated prognosis.
Lung cancer is most responsive to treatment when detected and treated early.It’s important to remember that your life expectancy may be different than someone else with the same type and stage of cancer.
Can you stop the progression of lung cancer?Treatments such as chemotherapy,radiation, and surgery may stop the progression of lung cancer. Targeted therapies used to prevent tumors from growing can slow the progression of lung cancer. Thanks to advancements in diagnostic tools and treatments, survival rates for lung cancer have increased significantly in recent years.
Can you stop the progression of lung cancer?
Treatments such as chemotherapy,radiation, and surgery may stop the progression of lung cancer. Targeted therapies used to prevent tumors from growing can slow the progression of lung cancer. Thanks to advancements in diagnostic tools and treatments, survival rates for lung cancer have increased significantly in recent years.
Lung cancer progressionvaries from person to person. There is no standard timeline for the progression of lung cancer, but knowing what to expect before, during, and after treatment can help you prepare for what lies ahead. Your healthcare team can help you make any lifestyle changes that will support your recovery and guide you in making treatment and health-related decisions.
Though no two people’s lung cancer journeys will be exactly alike, there are certain things you can expect:
What are the symptoms of end-stage lung cancer?Physical changes in end-stage lung cancer include fluid build-up around the lungs, shortness of breath, consistent cough, obstruction and/or bleeding of the airways, fatigue, weight loss and pain.
What are the symptoms of end-stage lung cancer?
Physical changes in end-stage lung cancer include fluid build-up around the lungs, shortness of breath, consistent cough, obstruction and/or bleeding of the airways, fatigue, weight loss and pain.
Summary
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are the two main types of lung cancer. Thestagingand progression of these two types are different. Once the type of lung cancer has been identified, healthcare providers will use imaging tests and biopsy results to determine how advanced the cancer is and if it has spread (staging).
NSCLC progresses in four different stages (stages 0-4), and SCLC has two stages: limited and extensive. The stages depend on the size and location of the primary tumor, whether it has spread (metastasized), and what part(s) of the body it has spread to. Staging helps healthcare providers identify the most effective treatment options to improve your outcome.
Getting a diagnosis at an early stage before cancer has metastasized to other areas of the body can have a positive impact on your prognosis, as can early palliative care.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Lung Association.Types of lung cancer.National Cancer Institute.Surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program.Merck Manual Professional Version.Lung carcinoma.American Cancer Association.Non-small cell lung cancer stages.National Cancer Institute.Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)- patient version.American Lung Association.Key statistics for lung cancer.American Lung Association.Lung cancer staging.Milovanovic IS, Stjepanovic M, Mitrovic D.Distribution patterns of the metastases of the lung carcinoma in relation to histological type of the primary tumor: an autopsy study.Ann Thorac Med.2017;12(3):191–198. doi:10.4103/atm.ATM_276_16Cancer Research UK.Lung cancer.Xia Y, Zhang B, Zhang H, Li W, Wang KP, Shen H.Evaluation of lymph node metastasis in lung cancer: who is the chief justice?J Thorac Dis. 2015;7(Suppl 4):S231-S237. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.11.63Roato I.Bone metastases: when and how lung cancer interacts with bone.World J Clin Oncol.2014;5(2):149-155. doi:10.5306/wjco.v5.i2.149American Lung Association.Brain metastasis from lung cancer.Ren Y, Dai C, Zheng H, et al.Prognostic effect of liver metastasis in lung cancer patients with distant metastasis.Oncotarget. 2016;7(33):53245-53253. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.10644Ng TG, Damiris K, Trivedi U, George JC.Obstructive jaundice, a rare presentation of lung cancer: A case report.Respiratory Medicine Case Reports. 2021;33:101425.MedlinePlus.Adrenal gland disorders.Singh N, Madan K, Aggarwal AN, Das A.Symptomatic large bilateral adrenal metastases at presentation in small-cell lung cancer: a case report and review of the literature.J Thorac Dis. 2013;5(3):E83-E86. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2011.09.05Alexander M, Wolfe R, Ball D, et al.Lung cancer prognostic index: a risk score to predict overall survival after the diagnosis of non-small-cell lung cancer.Br J Cancer. 2017;117(5):744-751. doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.232Canadian Cancer Society.Prognosis and survival for lung cancer.American Lung Association.What to expect from your lung cancer journey.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Lung Association.Types of lung cancer.National Cancer Institute.Surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program.Merck Manual Professional Version.Lung carcinoma.American Cancer Association.Non-small cell lung cancer stages.National Cancer Institute.Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)- patient version.American Lung Association.Key statistics for lung cancer.American Lung Association.Lung cancer staging.Milovanovic IS, Stjepanovic M, Mitrovic D.Distribution patterns of the metastases of the lung carcinoma in relation to histological type of the primary tumor: an autopsy study.Ann Thorac Med.2017;12(3):191–198. doi:10.4103/atm.ATM_276_16Cancer Research UK.Lung cancer.Xia Y, Zhang B, Zhang H, Li W, Wang KP, Shen H.Evaluation of lymph node metastasis in lung cancer: who is the chief justice?J Thorac Dis. 2015;7(Suppl 4):S231-S237. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.11.63Roato I.Bone metastases: when and how lung cancer interacts with bone.World J Clin Oncol.2014;5(2):149-155. doi:10.5306/wjco.v5.i2.149American Lung Association.Brain metastasis from lung cancer.Ren Y, Dai C, Zheng H, et al.Prognostic effect of liver metastasis in lung cancer patients with distant metastasis.Oncotarget. 2016;7(33):53245-53253. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.10644Ng TG, Damiris K, Trivedi U, George JC.Obstructive jaundice, a rare presentation of lung cancer: A case report.Respiratory Medicine Case Reports. 2021;33:101425.MedlinePlus.Adrenal gland disorders.Singh N, Madan K, Aggarwal AN, Das A.Symptomatic large bilateral adrenal metastases at presentation in small-cell lung cancer: a case report and review of the literature.J Thorac Dis. 2013;5(3):E83-E86. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2011.09.05Alexander M, Wolfe R, Ball D, et al.Lung cancer prognostic index: a risk score to predict overall survival after the diagnosis of non-small-cell lung cancer.Br J Cancer. 2017;117(5):744-751. doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.232Canadian Cancer Society.Prognosis and survival for lung cancer.American Lung Association.What to expect from your lung cancer journey.
American Lung Association.Types of lung cancer.
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American Cancer Association.Non-small cell lung cancer stages.
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American Lung Association.Key statistics for lung cancer.
American Lung Association.Lung cancer staging.
Milovanovic IS, Stjepanovic M, Mitrovic D.Distribution patterns of the metastases of the lung carcinoma in relation to histological type of the primary tumor: an autopsy study.Ann Thorac Med.2017;12(3):191–198. doi:10.4103/atm.ATM_276_16
Cancer Research UK.Lung cancer.
Xia Y, Zhang B, Zhang H, Li W, Wang KP, Shen H.Evaluation of lymph node metastasis in lung cancer: who is the chief justice?J Thorac Dis. 2015;7(Suppl 4):S231-S237. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.11.63
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American Lung Association.Brain metastasis from lung cancer.
Ren Y, Dai C, Zheng H, et al.Prognostic effect of liver metastasis in lung cancer patients with distant metastasis.Oncotarget. 2016;7(33):53245-53253. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.10644
Ng TG, Damiris K, Trivedi U, George JC.Obstructive jaundice, a rare presentation of lung cancer: A case report.Respiratory Medicine Case Reports. 2021;33:101425.
MedlinePlus.Adrenal gland disorders.
Singh N, Madan K, Aggarwal AN, Das A.Symptomatic large bilateral adrenal metastases at presentation in small-cell lung cancer: a case report and review of the literature.J Thorac Dis. 2013;5(3):E83-E86. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2011.09.05
Alexander M, Wolfe R, Ball D, et al.Lung cancer prognostic index: a risk score to predict overall survival after the diagnosis of non-small-cell lung cancer.Br J Cancer. 2017;117(5):744-751. doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.232
Canadian Cancer Society.Prognosis and survival for lung cancer.
American Lung Association.What to expect from your lung cancer journey.
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