There are a few reasons due to which lung cancer stages are important. One is that determining the cancer stage is essential for developing the effective treatment plan. Staging can help you know whether surgery is an effective choice or cancer and how aggressive to be with the treatment. While cancer treatments are changing and it is impossible to know how exactly you respond to the treatments, cancer stage which gives you an idea on what to expect. For detailed information, contact the doctor at the best cancer hospital in Ludhiana.

Several studies are done to determine the lung cancer stage. The studies are done to assess the tumor size and where it has spread. Imaging tests will be done to get more information, but biopsy is done to know the lung cancer type you have and how unique it is. Some of the staging test can include:

Imaging studies

MRI scans and CT scans help to define the lung cancer and how far it has spread. The PET scans help to know whether lung cancer can be operated or not.

A bronchoscopy is a procedure in which a lighted instrument is placed through your mouth and sees the airways of lungs. This helps to see the cancer deep within the lungs and near the large airways.

A mediastinoscopy is a procedure used to visualize—and biopsy. The mediastinum is the area between your lungs which have heart, the esophagus, the trachea, and lymph nodes. Determining whether or not the cancer has spread to these lymph nodes will play an important role to plan for the treatment.

Once imaging studies are done, lung biopsy is needed to check the lung cancer type along with the molecular profile of the tumor. The lung biopsy is done in different ways and the doctor will let you know the best treatment plan for your condition.

T - T stands for "tumor" and checks the size of the cancer in centimeters. For example, a cancer which is 3cm.

N - N stands for lymph "node" involvement. N0 means the cancer does not spread to the lymph nodes. N1 means that a cancer has spread to lymph nodes. N2 means that the tumor has spread to lymph nodes and further away. N3 refers to lymph nodes even further.

M - M stands for the presence of metastases. M1b means that a cancer spreads to distant regions. M1a means that a cancer has spread to the other lung.

The stages given for lung cancer will change with time, especially when other tests will reveal new information. There are certain stages which represent the stage at diagnosis. It is not uncommon for the stage of lung cancer to be raised when new information is found. Once the initial diagnosis the lymph nodes are affected on a PET scan. If the cancer comes back again, the stage may also increase. The cancer can spread to the bones and this stage is the 4th stage of lung cancer.