Cancer Science Journal – Cancer Statistics 2010

The TNM system is used to describe the lung cancer staging system.  It is a classification system developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and the Union Contre le Cancer (UICC).  According to this, T stands for Tumor size, N for node involvement and M for metastasis status:-

1. The tumor size is classified into TX, T0, Tis, T1, T2, T3, T4. TX being for the least infected and T4 for the most.
2. Regional lymph nodes are divided into NX, N0, N1, N2, N3. NX again being the weakest form of the disease and N3, the strongest.
3. Metastasis can be divided into MX, M0 and M1 with similar levels of intensity as the above two.

The lung cancer staging system can be defined by combining the stages that the above 3 points are at. It can accordingly be divided into:

a)      Stage Ia – T1, N0, M0

b)      Stage Ib – T2, N0, M0

c)      Stage IIa – N1, M0

d)     Stage IIb – T2, N1, M0 or T3, N0, M0

e)      Stage IIIa – T1-2, N2, M0 or T3, N1-2, M0

f)       Stage IIIb – T(any), N3, M0 or T4, N(any), M0

Stage IV – T(any), N(any), M1

The spread of cancer in the body is determined by the stage of the tumor.

NSCLC allot four stages to cancer based on severity:

1. Stage I – Confined to the lungs
2. Stage II and III – Confined to the chest with larger and more invasive tumors being stage III
3. Stage IV – Here cancer has spread to other parts of the body

The SCLC has a different staging process:

1. Limited stage (LS)- Cancer stays confined to the area of origin in the chest

Extensive stage (ES) – Cancer spreads to other parts of the body

To be diagnosed with lung cancer can be very devastating for a person and he/she might find it very hard to go through it alone. There are a large number of lung cancer support groups that can be found all over the internet. Here is a list of 5 such groups for people with lung cancer, survivors and their friends and family:

1. Lung Cancer Online
2. LUNGevity Foundaation
3. Lung Cancer Alliance
4. Around.org
5. Daily strength

All of these above support groups are a very good place to start for anybody who has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer and wants support from fellow lung cancer patients.

Adenocarcinoma lung cancer prognosis does not tell a very pretty picture. It does depend on the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed and the overall health of the patient. But, in general the prognosis is poor, especially if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes of the mediastinum or areas outside the chest wall.

This type of cancer can only be cured with surgery or radiation therapy, but only if this can completely remove the tumor. However most of the time, this cancer is diagnosed at a stage when therapy is of no use. Only 17% of patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma survive for more than 5 years.

You are diagnosed with advanced lung cancer when the cancer spreads from the lungs to any other part of the body. This may occur either when you are diagnosed or even after treatment.

Lung cancer can spread either within the lung itself or to other parts of the body.

The advanced lung cancer is most likely to spread to the lymph nodes within the chest, abdomen, neck or armpits, the liver, the bones or the brain.

Please remember, just because you have cancer does not mean that all aches and pains that you get is caused by the cancer. It is very important to immediately tell your doctor or any new symptoms that start worrying you. They may not be caused by the cancer. Here, the doctor will be able to help.

There are many alternative lung cancer treatments that may be used. Which of these treatments to undertake depends on the severity of the cancer and the location of the tumor.  When lung cancer is at stage one or two, surgery is the best option unless you have any health issues like heart problems or other lung problems.

Also, if the tumor is close to any of the vital organs, surgery might be ruled out and it is obviously best to take the advice of your physician as to which treatment to start. Some of the alternative lung cancer treatments are:

1. Wedge resection or segmentectomy
2. Lobectomy
3. Pneumonectomy
4. Video-assisted thorarcic surgery

Brain metastasis lung cancer is when lung cancer has spread to the brain. It can also occur when cancer from any other part of the body spreads to the brain, although it is most likely to come from the lungs. There can be multiple brain metastases and different parts of the brain can be affected.

Brain metastasis has similar symptoms as primary brain cancer. These include headaches, vomiting, nausea, and tiredness. Depending on which part of the brain is affected, different parts of the body might also get affected and having difficulty in speaking or walking is a common occurrence.

Listed below you’ll find some very interesting facts about lung cancer:

1. The primary cause of lung cancer is smoking. 87% of the people that are diagnosed with lung cancer are either smokers or have previously been smokers.
2. Approximately 219,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the U.S. every year out of which around 103,000 are women and 116,000 are men. Out of these people, more than 160,000 find it to be fatal.
3. Lung cancer can be caused, apart from smoking, by exposure to radon, radiation, second hand smoke, asbestos, arsenic, etc.
4. Only 16% of the patients are diagnosed before the disease has time to spread to the other parts of the body.
5. The race which experiences the highest incidence of lung cancer and the highest death rate are the African Americans.
6. Around 84% of the people that are diagnosed with lung cancer die and within five years of getting diagnosed with it.