Stages of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

With a cancer diagnosis, staging is done to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to what parts of the body. Lung cancer often spreads to the brain or bones. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment.

The following stages are used for non-small cell lung cancer:

Occult Stage: Cancer cells are found in sputum, but no tumor can be found in the lung.

Stage 0: Cancer is only found in a local area and only in a few layers of cells. It has not grown through the top lining of the lung. Another term for this type of lung cancer is carcinoma in situ.

Stage I: The cancer is only in the lung, and normal tissue is around it.

Stage II: Cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage III: Cancer has spread to the chest wall or diaphragm near the lung; or the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the area that separates the two lungs (mediastinum); or to the lymph nodes on the other side of the chest or in the neck.

Stage III is further divided into stage IIIA (usually can be operated on) and stage IIIB (usually cannot be operated on). Stage IV Cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Recurrent Cancer has come back (recurred) after previous treatment.