The Pathology Report
If there is suspicion that a patient may have lung cancer, a sample of tissue (biopsy) may be taken for examination. After a biopsy is taken, the physician who performed the biopsy sends the specimen to a pathologist. The pathologist examines the specimen at both the macroscopic (visible with the naked eye) and microscopic (requiring magnification) levels and then sends a pathology report to the physician. The report contains information about the tissue's appearance, cellular make up, and state of disease or normalcy. For more information about pathology reports, refer to the Diagnosis & Detection section.
Staging
Staging a cancer is a way of describing the extent of the disease. One of the most common methods used for cancer staging is called the T/N/M system, which assigns a degree of severity based on the size, location, and spread of cancer in the body. Staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) follows the TNM criteria. Details of this system can be found in the Diagnosis and Detection section.
Because small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is often diagnosed at a more advanced state, the T/N/M system is not used. Instead small cell lung cancer is usually staged using the Veterans Administration Lung Study Group System, a 2-stage system based on location of the cancer. Most small cell lung cancers are diagnosed in the extensive-stage.(1)
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Limited-stage: The cancer is located in only one lung and lymph nodes on the same side of the body
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Extensive-stage: The cancer has spread to the other lung and/or other regions of the body
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