What Are The Stages Of Lung Cancer And What Do They Mean
Cancer stages 0 to iv.
What are the stages of lung cancer and what do they mean. Cancer is found in the lung and nearby lymph nodes. But this doesn t mean that they don t care anymore. By definition the final stage of lung cancer implies that treatment options have been exhausted. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the united states and while often treatable it frequently progresses and causes death.
Cancer is in your lung tissues but not your lymph nodes. A diagnosis of stage 1 lung cancer means that a tumor is discovered but it is still localized within the lungs. Once t n and m are determined a doctor will assign the cancer a stage from zero to four. Cancer is in the lung and lymph nodes in the.
It hasn t yet spread to any lymph nodes or to other areas and the cancer. By stage iv the cancer is considered advanced and has spread to other areas of the body. This is also called early stage cancer. A cure is not possible.
Physical changes during the final stages of lung cancer can be related to the tumor in the lungs the spread of cancer to other parts of the body or due to the terminal stages of cancer in general. The disease may have spread to your lymph nodes near your lungs. Cancer is found in the lung but it has not spread outside the lung. It has spread further into your lymph nodes.
Knowing the signs of impending death in someone suffering from lung cancer can be helpful for family members caretakers and health care professionals who encounter these patients. Learn more about types of lung cancer survival rates and other statistics. The stages of lung cancer are indicated by roman numerals that range from 0 to iv with the lowest stages indicating cancer that is limited to the lung. Lung cancer is the second most diagnosed type of cancer in american men and women.
Staging differs a bit from cancer to cancer sometimes stages are subdivided. Before the final stages of death the dying person might talk about wanting to complete any unfinished business. These events are all very normal and are a natural part of dying.