Small Cell Lung Cancer Stages / Staging

Making an educated treatment decision begins by learning about the stage, or progression of lung cancer. When cancer is properly staged, it provides you with a clearer picture of where it exists in your body. Small cell lung cancer staging is the first important step you can take in determining the best treatment options available to you. Using the results from your diagnostic tests, your care team at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) will determine the type and stage (extent) of the lung cancer.

Small Cell Lung Cancer Staging

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) staging is a critical component of developing each individual’s personalized treatment plan. SCLC is described in one of two ways: limited or extensive.

Limited Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

In the limited stage, cancer resides in one lung or in the nearby tissue. The cancer may have spread to nearby lymph nodes or into the tissue between the lungs, but it has not metastasized to other organs in the body.

About one-third of SCLC patients will be in the limited stage at the time of diagnosis. Due to the aggressive nature of the disease, it is rare that surgery is an option, even for those with early stage small cell lung cancer. If surgery can be used as a treatment, the patient will need to follow up with radiation and chemotherapy. When surgery is not a viable treatment approach, then chemotherapy and radiation therapy are common options.

Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

In the extensive stage, the cancer has spread to tissue outside of the originally affected lung. Extensive stage can mean that the opposite lung now has the disease, or the cancer has spread further into distant organs such as the liver, brain or kidneys.

For those in the extensive stage small cell lung cancer, surgery is not a treatment option. Instead, patients are usually given doses of chemotherapy mixed with radiation therapy. In many instances, radiation to the brain is used to prevent the disease from spreading to that sensitive location.

Small Cell Lung Cancer Stages Treatment Options at CTCA 

No matter which small cell lung cancer stage you are facing, it is important to remember that you have choices. The lung cancer experts at CTCA offer a number of innovative treatments and technologies for all stages of the disease, including complex and advanced stages.

At CTCA, your care team will take the time to listen to you and develop a personalized lung cancer treatment plan that is built around your unique needs and preferences.

If you're ready to learn more about the small cell lung cancer staging process and treatment options, call 888-841-9129 or Chat Now to talk with one of our Oncology Information Specialists. Our representatives are available 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

If you're ready to learn more about the small cell lung cancer staging process and treatments options, call 1-800-615-3055 or Chat Now to talk with one of our Oncology Information Specialists. Our representatives are available 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

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