Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsStagingSymptomsTreatmentPrognosisCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Staging
Symptoms
Treatment
Prognosis
Coping
Stage 2non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) is localized cancer that has not spread beyond one lung or the locallymph nodeson the same side of the chest. Any lung cancer diagnosis is serious, but being in thisearly stagemeans your disease is very treatable, and your chances for a long-term remission are good.
2:57An Overview of Staging For Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
2:57
An Overview of Staging For Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Determining the stage of lung cancer is very important in choosing the most appropriate treatment.
Lung cancer is staged based on theTNM system:
Stage 2 is divided into stages 2A and 2B. Stage 2B is divided into three possible designations.
Stage 2 Lung Cancer Symptoms
In the early stages of lung cancer, you might not have symptoms. As the disease progresses, though, symptoms may arise while it’s still in stage 2.
These include:
Since stage 2 lung cancer has not metastasized beyond the lungs, symptoms such asunintentional weight lossandfatigueare less common than in more advanced stages.
The symptoms oflung cancer in womenmay differ from men, and symptoms innon-smokersmay differ from current or former smokers. This is important to consider as cases of lung cancerhave been increasingamong young women who have never smoked, many of whom assume they are not at risk for the disease and miss early signs of a problem.
Symptoms of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
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Treatment options for stage 2 lung cancer often include a combination of therapies.
Surgery
Surgery is associated with the greatest likelihood of long-term survival after your diagnosis.
There are four main types of surgery for lung cancer:
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a less invasive technique than traditional open surgery. During VATS, part of the lung may be removed through small incisions in the chest wall. VATS procedures may result in a shorter hospital stay and less post-operative pain.
Which procedure your healthcare provider recommends depends on where your tumor is located and your general state of health.
Chemotherapy
Most oncologists recommend adjuvant chemotherapy (chemotherapy after surgery) for those who undergo surgery for stage 2 lung cancer. The advantage of this type of chemotherapy is that it aims to destroy cancer cells that may have spread beyond the lungs but are not yet visible on any imaging tests.
Depending on the location of your tumor, some oncologists may prescribe neoadjuvant chemotherapy—chemotherapy givenbeforesurgery to decrease the size of a tumor and make removing the tumor easier.
Chemotherapy for Lung Cancer
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapyis used to treat stage 2 lung cancer in combination with chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment when the surgical margins are positive.
It also presents an option for patients who are unable to have surgery due to the tumor’s location or because of other health issues.
Other techniques such asproton beam therapyare being evaluated for stage 2 disease.
Genetic Targeting
Along with characterizing a tumor based on size and how far it has spread, oncologists are now usinggenetic testing(molecular profiling) of lung cancer to personalize the diagnosis and treatment.
Ongoing ResearchTargeted therapiesandimmunotherapyare treatments primarily used for advanced-stage lung cancer, butclinical trialscontinue to explore the utility of these options. Researchers are looking to see if they can help improve survival rates and reduce the risk of recurrence when these approaches are used for treating early-stage lung cancer.
Ongoing Research
Targeted therapiesandimmunotherapyare treatments primarily used for advanced-stage lung cancer, butclinical trialscontinue to explore the utility of these options. Researchers are looking to see if they can help improve survival rates and reduce the risk of recurrence when these approaches are used for treating early-stage lung cancer.
The five-yearsurvival rate for stage 2 NSCLCis approximately 35% with treatment.This varies, depending on factors such as the location, size, and characteristics of your particular tumor, as well as your general health.
This is in contrast to lung cancer’s overall survival rate (just under 19%), partly because only about 16% of NSCLC is diagnosed in the localized stages (stage 1 or stage 2).
Keep in mind that survival statistics are often several years old, and newer treatments may not have been available when those numbers were recorded.
Getting appropriate treatment is the key to improving your chances ofremission. Discuss all your options with your healthcare provider and be hopeful. Treatments are improving every day.
Understanding Survival Rates.
Risk of Recurrence
The overalllung cancer recurrencerate for stage 2 NSCLC is estimated to be about 38%. If a lung cancer recurs, further options are available for treatment. These may include radiation with or without chemotherapy, targeted therapies, or immunotherapy medications.
Studies suggest that learning about your disease can improve your outcome.Ask questions. Learn about clinical trials that might be appropriate for you. If you are newly diagnosed with lung cancer, take a moment to breathe and think carefully about your current situation.
This is a time to allow others to help you. Look intosupport groupsin your community or online so you can connect with people who understand and have advice to offer. Remember, too, that there are some things you can do yourself that can improve survival with lung cancer. Putting effort into these can give you control of your cancer journey.
A Word From Verywell
Lung cancer survival rates are improving rapidly.Learn how to advocate for yourself as a cancer patient, seek a second opinion if you feel you need one, andchoose a cancer treatment centerthat you feel confident in.
12 Sources
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 Cancer Society.Non-small cell lung cancer stages.
American Cancer Society.Lung cancer signs and symptoms.
Clément-Duchêne C, Stock S, Xu X, et al.Survival among never-smokers with lung cancer in the cancer care outcomes research and surveillance study.Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2016;13(1):58-66. doi:10.1513%2FAnnalsATS.201504-241OC
American Cancer Society.Surgery for non-small cell lung cancer.
Dziedzic D, Orlowski T.The role of VATS in lung cancer surgery: current status and prospects for development.Minim Invasive Surg. 2015;2015:938430. doi:10.1155%2F2015%2F938430
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National Cancer Institute.Five-year survival rates.
American Lung Association.Lung cancer fact sheet.
American Cancer Society.Attitudes and cancer.
American Cancer Society.Lung cancer survival rates.
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