Stages of Terminal Lung Cancer

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more people die from lung cancer each year than any other cancer including breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer combined. Contributing to the terminal nature of lung disease is that most people are not diagnosed until the disease has progressed. To determine the extent of the disease, doctors assign a classification--limited or extensive--and a number stage that is based on the size of the tumor(s) and how far the cancer has spread.

Limited Disease

• Cancer that is in one lung only, and possibly the lymph nodes on the same side, is classified as limited disease. Patients with limited disease may qualify to receive localized treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy to eradicate the cancer.

Extensive Disease

• Patients whose cancer has spread to both lungs, to lymph nodes on the opposite side or to distant organs are classified as having extensive disease. If the fluid surrounding the lung is positive for cancer cells, the cancer also is classified as extensive disease. According to the American Cancer Society, two out of three patients with lung cancer have extensive disease upon diagnosis. Those with extensive disease are considered terminal and not likely to be cured.

Stage I and II

• Stage I lung cancer is localized to only one lung. This stage is broken down into stage Ia or stage Ib, depending on the size of the tumor. Once tumors are between 5 and 7 cm without infecting the surrounding lymph nodes (IIa), or less than 5 cm but are in lymph nodes near the infected lung (IIb), the cancer is considered to be Stage II. Although these cancers are not necessarily considered terminal, the five-year survival rate, meaning the number of patients who live 5 years after diagnosis, for Stage I is only 31 percent, and for Stage II it is only 19 percent.

Stage III

• Cancer that is larger than 7 cm and has spread to the lymph nodes, the chest wall or surrounding organs such as the diaphragm, windpipe, esophagus, heart or spinal bone is considered to be Stage III. Patients with Stage III cancer may have a collapsed or inflamed lung due to the buildup of mucus. This stage of cancer is usually terminal; the five-year survival rate is only 8 percent.

Stage IV

• When the tumors are in both lungs and/or have spread to other parts of the body such as the liver or bones, or have caused pleural effusion (build-up of fluid around the lungs that has cancer cells), the cancer is classified as Stage IV. Stage IV lung cancer has a five-year survival rate of only 2 percent.