How Are the Stages of Lung Cancer Determined?

Once lung cancer is diagnosed, determining the stage becomes extremely important. Cancers are divided into different stages depending on how far advanced the cancer is and how far it has spread from its place of origin. There are five stages of non-small cell lung cancer, from stage 0 to stage IV. It should be noted that small-cell lung cancer has much simpler stages of severity. Generally, the more advanced the cancer is, the less likely an ideal outcome will be reached. Determining lung cancer’s stage can be done through an array of different tests, and many are the same tests which are used for the original diagnoses.

Some of the most common tests medical professionals use to stage lung cancer are:

• Chest x-ray
• Computed tomography (CT) scan
• Sputum cytology
• Thoracentesis
• Bronchoscopy
• Fine-needle aspiration
• Thoracoscopy
• Thoracotomy
• Mediastinoscopy
• Bone scans
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Positron emission tomography (PET)

The results of these tests may show that the cancer has spread to areas such as the bones, liver or brain. If you or a loved one has lung cancer and feel it was discovered late or that your doctor failed to diagnose your lung cancer, please request a copy of both our free report, Lung Cancer: The Risks, the Signs, Diagnosis and Treatment, and our book, I Have Cancer…Should It Have Been Caught Earlier?. You may also want to contact an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice and lung cancer lawyer at the Dover Law Firm at 770-518-1133 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options.