Lung Cancer Types and Stages: A Comprehensive Guide

Lung Cancer Types and Stages: A Comprehensive Guide

Lung cancer originates when abnormal cells in the lungs grow uncontrollably, forming tumours that can interfere with lung function. As part of their routine functioning, your cells divide and create new duplicates of themselves. Sometimes, though, they go through changes (mutations) that cause them to keep creating more of themselves when they shouldn’t. Uncontrollably proliferating abnormal cells result in tissue lumps called tumours that eventually impair the functionality of your organs. Lung cancer is oftentimes linked to smoking but can also affect non-smokers due to other factors like exposure to radon, secondhand smoke, or environmental pollutants.

Lung Cancer is a complex medical disease with various types and stages, each demanding unique treatment approaches and prognoses. Understanding its intricacies, from its diverse types to the staging systems used for assessment, is crucial for effective management and informed decision-making.

Types of Lung Cancer

Although there are several kinds of cancers that impact the lungs, non-small cell lung cancers and small cell lung cancer are the 2 forms that often get referred to as “lung cancers.”

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The most prevalent lung cancer type is NSCLC – Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Compared to small cell cancer, it develops and spreads very slowly. Based on the form of cells observed inside the tumour, there are three primary types of this cancer:

• Adenocarcinoma: Cells that would typically release mucus or other substances are where adenocarcinomas originate. While it is the most prevalent kind of lung cancer detected in non-smokers, it also mostly affects those who smoke or have previously smoked. Compared to other forms of lung cancer, it is more frequent in women than in males and more likely to strike younger individuals.
• Squamous cell carcinoma: Epidermoid carcinoma is another name for squamous cellular cancer. Frequently, it begins inside the bronchi close to the centre of the lungs.
• Large cellular carcinoma: Any area of the lung may develop large cell carcinoma. It might be challenging to treat because of its propensity for rapid growth and dissemination. Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma (LCNEC), a subtype of big cell carcinoma, is a rapidly expanding disease that has many characteristics with small cell lung cancer.

Surgery is performed to remove non-small cell lung tumours that have not spread outside of the lung. For more advanced cancers, surgery may also be performed in conjunction with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In order to reduce tumour size and stop cancer cells from spreading throughout the bloodstream, these therapies can also be administered before surgery.

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Small Cell lung cancer accounts for about one-tenth of all lung cancer cases. Oat cell cancer is another name for it. Compared to NSCLC, this kind of lung cancer has a tendency to develop and spread more quickly. When SCLC is first detected in most patients, the disease has already progressed outside of the lungs. The most popular treatment for small cell lung cancer is chemotherapy, which works by destroying lung cancer cells that may have migrated outside of the lung by circulating these drugs throughout the body. For tumours that are limited to the lung and other internal organs of the chest, radiation treatment is often combined with chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the cancer will eventually come back for most patients.

Other Types of Lung Tumours

Other tumours can develop in the lungs, in addition to the common forms of lung cancer.

• Lung carcinoid tumours: Less than 5% of lung tumours are lung carcinoid tumours. The majority of these develop slowly.
• Cancers that metastasise to the lungs: Although they occasionally extend (metastasise) to the lungs, cancers that originate in other organs (such as the skin, kidney, or breast) are not lung cancers. The initial cancer location determines the course of treatment for pulmonary metastases of cancer.
• Other lung tumours: It is uncommon to encounter benign lung tumours such as hamartomas and other forms of lung cancer, including adenoid cystic carcinomas, lymphomas, and sarcomas. These are not included here since they are handled differently from the more prevalent lung cancers.

Stages of Lung Cancer

Staging determines the extent of cancer spread, aiding treatment planning and predicting outcomes. The TNM system, comprising Tumour size, Lymph Node involvement, and Metastasis, is commonly used for staging lung cancer.

TNM System

• T (Tumour): Describes the size and extent of the primary tumour.
• N (Node): Indicates whether cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes.
• M (Metastasis): Refers to cancer spreading to distant organs or tissues.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stages (NSCLC)

Depending on when it is found, NSCLC is divided into the following six stages:

Occult-stage: At this stage, cancer cannot be found by imaging or bronchoscopy. Therefore, doctors are unable to determine its precise position. Sputum, on the other hand, or bronchial washings—a sample of cells taken from within the airways—may indicate the existence of cancerous cells.

Stage 0: In the lining of the airways, aberrant cells may be found by medical professionals. They haven’t moved to other areas of the body, but they might become malignant and impact neighbouring normal tissue.

Stage 1: Cancer is localised within the lung and hasn’t spread to lymph nodes. Two subtypes of Stage 1 patients are further classified:

• Stage 1A: The cancer is limited to the lung, with a tumour that is no more than 3 cm in size and has not metastasised to the lymph nodes or other organs.
• Stage 1B: The lung tumour may occasionally be more than 3 cm in size but less than 4 cm in size, and it hasn’t spread to any lymph nodes.

Stage II: The tumour might have grown larger and possibly involves nearby lymph nodes. Two subcategories are further distinguished from Stage 2 cases:

• Stage 2A: No lymph nodes have been affected by the lung tumour, which is larger than 4 cm but smaller than 5 cm.
• Stage 2B: The lung cancer tumour may occasionally measure 5 cm or less and have spread to lymph nodes in the same chest region as the initial tumour.

Stage III: Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or structures near the lungs. Three subtypes of stage 3 NSCLC cases are distinguished:

• Stage 3A: The lung cancer tumour may occasionally measure 5 cm or less and have spread to lymph nodes in the same chest region as the initial tumour.
• Stage 3B: When a lung cancer tumour is five centimetres or less in size, it might have spread to lymph nodes (usually above the collarbone) in the same region of the chest as the initial tumour or to lymph nodes on the other side.

Stage IV: Cancer has metastasised to distant organs like the brain, liver, or bones. There are two subtypes of stage 4 NSCLC cases:

• Stage 4A: The lung cancer tumour may have spread to the lymph node and might be of any size.
• Stage 4B: At this stage, cancer has spread to other organs that are far from the lung.

Small Cell Lung Cancer Stages

• Limited Stage: The disease has only spread to one area of the chest if the stage of SCLC is confined. It could be discovered in a single lung, for instance, or the cancerous cells might have moved to lymph nodes in the same region of the chest. Radiation therapy is usually required in one body site for patients with limited-stage SCLC.
• Extensive Stage: When cancer is in an extensive stage, it has progressed beyond its original lung and may have gone to other organs, including the bones, the fluid around the lung, lymph nodes located on the other side of the chest, or the other lung.

Best Lung Cancer Treatment at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka

Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, is a renowned lung cancer hospital centre that provides cutting-edge treatments in surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology. This well-known facility in India provides top-notch lung cancer treatment using cutting-edge robotics and minimally invasive procedures. At Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, we offer access to the most recent developments in lung cancer therapy, along with compassionate care and a dedication to improving results, thanks to its modern infrastructure and focus on novel medicines. By choosing us, you are placing your faith in a facility renowned for its quality, patient-centred care, and holistic approach to treating lung cancer.