Stage 4 Lung Cancer

Stage 4 is the most serious of the four stages of lung cancer.

Stages were established to help physicians properly diagnose the severity of lung cancer, particularly for non-small cell lung cancer, and to help them determine the best course of action in treating the disease. There are four stages altogether, Stage 1 indicating a cancer that's been caught in the early stages before it's had a chance to spread beyond the lung tissue. Stage 4 lung cancer has already done major damage and has metastasized (spread) to other parts of the body, such as the liver, adrenal glands, bone, brain, and beyhond.

The diagnosis of Stage 4 lung cancer is accomplished through the use of normal chest x-rays, CT scans, bone scans, and blood tests. Bone scans done during the Stage 4 are designed to reveal if the cancer has spread to the bone. In this test, a radioactive material is first injected into the bloodstream, then a scan is conducted to locate the radioactive material in the body, which reveals if and where the cancer has metastasized.

Blood tests done during Stage 4 lung cancer can also reveal the presence of a cancer that's metatasized. For example, an increased level of calcium in the blood indicates the presence of cancer in the bone. An increased level of enzymes, such as aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, indicates the presence of cancer in the liver.

Almost half of the patients diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer have already entered Stage 4 of the disease.

Generally, cancer treatments are designed to rid the body of cancerous cells and to stop the growth of future cells. Stage 4 lung cancer treatments, on the other hand, are most often designed to relieve the symptoms. This is commonly achieved with chemotherapy, though the chemotherapy can also be combined with radiation treatments.

The prognosis for those with Stage 4 lung cancer can be devastating. Only a third will survive for a full year. Of those who don't go through the chemotherapy, for whatever reason, the one-year survival rate drops to around 10%. Overall, on average, only 2% of those diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer survive for a full five years or longer.

These are statistics, however. Every year new advances in the treatment of lung cancer increase the odds of survival.

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