Previous Section
Introduction to Small Cell Lung Cancer
Staging of Small Cell Lung Cancer
Staging is the process used by doctors for evaluating how far the cancer has spread and is an important factor in making treatment decisions as well as for predicting the likelihood for recovery (prognosis). Patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are staged according to the staging system developed in 1973 by the Veterans Administration Lung Cancer Study Group. This staging system groups patients with small cell lung cancer into one of the following two categories:
Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Cancer is present in only one lung and in nearby lymph nodes on the same side of the chest.
- Only about 20% to 30% of patients have limited-stage disease at the time of diagnosis
- Limited-stage disease can usually be treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Cancer has spread to the other lung, to lymph nodes on the other side of the chest, or to distant organs
Common sites of metastases for SCLC include:
- liver
- bone and bone marrow
- adrenal glands
- brain
About 70% of patients with SCLC already have extensive-stage disease at the time of diagnosis
