| Once a diagnosis of lung cancer has been
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| | more complicated and can mean several
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| made, the doctor will attempt to
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| | things. For example, it can indicate that
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| determine the stage the lung cancer is
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| | the tumor has spread, but it's still only
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| at. The staging system is somewhat like a
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| | affecting one side of the lung, or that
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| measurement system, with the numbers
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| | tumors have spread to other nearby body
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| indicating: whether the cancerous tumors
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| | parts such as the chest wall, or that
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| are localized or whether the tumors have
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| | fluid is collecting in the lungs. Stage 4
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| spread to other parts of the body; the
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| | is of course the worst stage and means
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| tumor's size; and whether or not the
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| | that cancerous tumors have spread into a
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| tumors have spread to the lymph nodes.
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| | whole other part of the body like the
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| There are four main stages of lung cancer
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| | pelvis or liver.
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| (Stages 1 - 4) and identification of one
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| | Small-Cell Cancer
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| of the stages is what helps doctors
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| | In cases of small-cell cancer, there are
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| prescribe an appropriate treatment
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| | two stages of lung cancer - Stage 1 and
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| method.
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| | Stage 2. These stages are used to
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| Different Cancer, Different Stages of
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| | designate whether the cancerous cells are
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| Lung Cancer
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| | limited in number or whether there exists
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| The staging system is a bit more
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| | an extensive amount that have invaded the
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| complicated than simply assigning a
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| | chest and other parts of the body. When
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| number. First of all, the stage numbering
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| | they're limited in number, patients have
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| system differs slightly depending on
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| | a good chance of receiving effective
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| whether the lung cancer has been
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| | treatment and possibly even resuming a
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| diagnosed as small cell lung cancer or
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| | near normal life. An extensive amount
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| non-small cell lung cancer.
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| | however, means treatment options are very
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| Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
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| | limited.
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| Non-small cell lung cancer is the more
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| | The Staging Challenge
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| common form and it progresses more slowly
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| | Although the stages of lung cancer seem
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| than the other type. Non-small lung
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| | well-defined, categorizing a person's
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| cancer can be broken down into 4 stages.
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| | cancer into one of these stages is often
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| Stage 1 means that the tumor is local; it
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| | challenging. Each case of cancer involves
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| has not spread to the lymph nodes. Adding
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| | so many different factors and the
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| the letter A or B to the stage 1
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| | combination of factors can be interpreted
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| classification indicates the size of the
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| | in many different ways by different
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| tumor ("A" means it is less than 3 cm
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| | doctors. Proper diagnosis and
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| across) and whether it's larger and
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| | classification takes time and may take
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| growing in a sensitive area ("B"). Stage
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| | several rounds of testing. CT scans,
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| 2 means the tumor has spread into lymph
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| | MRIs, blood tests, bone scans and even
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| nodes or the chest wall. Again, an "A"
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| | testing the pleural effusion (if present)
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| and "B" designation determines the size
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| | may all be needed.
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| and the location of the tumor. Stage 3 is
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|
