Cancer: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments



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How Does Small Cell Lung Cancer Staging Work?

Doctors typically divide small cell lung cancer (SCLC) into limited or extensive stages, depending on whether the cancer is in one lung, both lungs, or has spread to distant areas.

Staging for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) can help identify how advanced the cancer is and its best treatment.

In addition to the "limited" or "extensive" stages, doctors also classify SCLC into stages relating to the size and location of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or distant organs. This article looks at the systems doctors use to stage SCLC.

Doctors use results from diagnostic tests to determine the stage of SCLC. These may include:

The results of these tests can show doctors the size and location of a tumor, any lymph node involvement, and whether the cancer has spread to distant areas. This information allows doctors to stage SCLC.

Extensive-stage SCLC means the cancer has spread throughout one or both lungs or to other parts of the body.

There is no cure for extensive-stage SCLC, but treatments, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, may help control the cancer.

Doctors use the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system to classify cancer based on the following factors:

  • T: This indicates the size and location of the tumor (T) and whether it has spread to surrounding areas.
  • N: This indicates whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes (N).
  • M: This indicates whether there is metastasis (M), which is the spread of cancer to distant areas of the body.
  • Doctors then assign additional numbers or letters to describe each factor.

    Doctors use the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM system to stage lung cancer, although it is typically used more for non-small cell lung cancer than SCLC, which doctors more often categorize as extensive or limited-stage.

    The TNM stages range from 0 to 4 and also have substages. Higher stages are more advanced.

    Occult, or hidden, cancer is before stage 0. At the occult stage, doctors cannot identify the location of the lung cancer but do not think it has spread to lymph nodes or distant areas. Cancer cells may appear in lung fluid samples but do not show on other tests.

    Stage 0 Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 How quickly does small cell lung cancer progress?

    SCLC grows and spreads quickly. The doubling time of cancer describes how quickly a tumor doubles in size. The doubling time of SCLC may be around 25 to 30 days.

    Is small cell lung cancer considered terminal?

    SCLC is difficult to cure and has a low survival rate. Limited-stage SCLC has a better outlook than extensive-stage SCLC, and combined treatments may improve long-term survival. Long-term, disease-free survival is rare with extensive-stage SCLC.

    What is the life expectancy of someone with small cell lung cancer?

    Without treatment, the life expectancy with SCLC is around 2 to 4 months after diagnosis. With treatment, people with limited-stage SCLC may have a life expectancy of around 16 to 24 months after diagnosis. For extensive-stage SCLC, the life expectancy may be around 6 to 12 months with treatment.

    Read more about the life expectancy of someone with SCLC.

    Doctors use the results of diagnostic tests to stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Staging identifies the extent of the tumor, lymph node involvement, and whether the cancer has spread to distant areas of the body.

    Staging cancer helps doctors identify how advanced the cancer is and decide on the best course of treatment.


    Lung Cancer Resource Center

    Surprising Signs You Might Have Lung Cancer

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    Blood Test Detects Stage 4 Lung Cancer For Kat Robinson

    A MUM from Dorset was alerted to her stage 4 lung cancer following her involvement in a blood test that identified the condition.

    The NHS is trialling a blood test that could help thousands of people receive earlier, more targeted lung cancer treatments.

    Kat Robinson, 33, was diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer in September 2023.

    Kat was a healthy and active non-smoker when an extended migraine took her to her GP.

    Her doctor immediately sent her to the hospital for tests.

    On her second day in the hospital, Kat was told about the ctDNA pilot and agreed to take part.

    The team took her blood and continued to run full diagnostic tests.

    Kat was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer, with tumours spreading to a total of four sites in her body.

    Kat said: "Those early weeks are a complete blur; my life changed so quickly, and I had to take on so much information.

    "I went from going to the gym multiple times a week to having to wrap my head around the fact that doctors were talking about treatments to try and prolong my life."

    The results didn't just give Kat some peace of mind, but they also meant that her clinical team were able to immediately ensure that she had access to treatments that specifically target the changes in the genome that drive her cancer.

    Kat said: "When I first heard my diagnosis, I spent a lot of time trying to understand if I did it to myself.

    "Having the ctDNA test results back gave me a sense of relief that there was no one to blame; I couldn't be angry about it.

    "The tablets help me keep my cancer in check; they are allowing me to carry on with my day-to-day life. I can do things with my family – I can be a mum to my daughter.

    "I even managed to take her trick-or-treating this year, and we both want to make many more memories together."

    Kat is currently taking Brigatinib, a medicine that blocks cancer cells from receiving the signal to divide.

    Doctors hope that this means Kat's cancer will stop growing and spreading.

    Kat's sister created a Go Fund Me titled "Cancer fight for Kat Robinson - making memories", to help her fund a "once in a lifetime trip" with her daughter. 






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