Lung cancer in humans can be broadly classified as small cell lung cancer and non small cell lung cancer. The classification depends on the severity of the malignancy and will also help in determining the treatment, which the oncologist will recommend. This staging helps in identifying which treatment is most suited for killing the cancer and not the prognosis.

The cancer stages are denoted using numbers from one to four. In stage-1, the cancer is in the initial level and still present in the place of origin without spreading. The stage-4 will indicate advanced stage of cancer which would have to spread to other parts.

The treatment suggested will not only depend on the stage of cancer but also on other factors like strength of the patient, overall health status, other existing illnesses and the ability of the person to withstand and cope up with the treatment.

The classification as small cell or non-small cell also depends on the cellular characteristics. The stage of the cancer is proportional of the size of the tumor in the lungs and its spread. If lymph nodes of the lungs are affected, the stage of cancer will also indicate the type of lymph nodes affected and the extent of the spread. The spread of cancer to other distant organs will be denoted by a higher number.

The staging for non-small cell cancer of the lungs starts from one and ends at four based on the tumor, lymph nodes affected and the metastases.

In stage-1, the cancer is in the early stage and confined to one lung. It would not have metastasized to the lymph nodes.

In stage-2, cancer would have metastasized to the lymph nodes that are around the affected lung.

In stage-3a, the cancer will metastasize to the lymph nodes that are outside the affected lung and reach the nodes in the trachea inclusive of those lining the chest wall and the diaphragm. In stage-3b, the cancer will spread to the other lung or onto the neck.
In stage-4, the cancer will spread to many other parts of the lungs and also to other distant organs in the body.

Small cell lung cancer is classified as limited or extensive depending on how far the cancer has managed to spread. In the limited stage, the tumor or cancer is restricted just to a single lung and nodes nearby. In the extensive stage, the cancer is present in the lungs and also metastasized to neighboring and distal parts of the body.

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