Understanding Your Lung Cancer Diagnosis Before Beginning Treatment
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. If you were diagnosed at an early stage, your cancer may be removed with surgery. Early-stage lung cancer is typically considered stages I through III. Review the descriptions below with your doctor to learn more about your stage.
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. If you were diagnosed at an early stage, your cancer may be removed with surgery. Early-stage lung cancer is typically considered stages I through III. Review the descriptions below with your doctor to learn more about your stage.
STAGE
I
Cancer is in only one part of the lung. The tumor is not larger than a few centimeters.
STAGE
II
Cancer is in one of the lungs and may have spread to the lymph nodes within and surrounding the lung.
STAGE
III
Cancer is in one of the lungs and may have spread to the lymph nodes within and surrounding both lungs.
STAGE
IV
Cancer may be in both lungs and/or the lymph nodes within and surrounding the lungs. It has also spread from the lungs into other parts of the body.
Get a Complete Diagnosis with Biomarker Testing
Certain biomarkers may cause cancer cells to grow and spread. Biomarker testing could reveal if your cancer tests positive for a driver mutation and/or an immune protein.
Start the Biomarker Testing Process
Biomarker testing involves three important steps:
STEP ONE: Talk
Talk to your healthcare team about the staging of your disease and the importance of biomarker testing before determining which treatment options may be right for you. Follow through if your surgeon refers you to an oncologist, as cancer specialists can become a critical part of your healthcare team.
STEP TWO: Test
Through biomarker testing, the tissue removed during surgery may be tested for an EGFR mutation or PD-L1 immune protein depending on your stage and type of lung cancer. Guidelines recommend testing for EGFR mutations in patients with stage IB-III NSCLC to help your doctor with treatment decisions after surgery. Guidelines also recommend testing for PD-L1 in certain patients with stage II-IIIA disease.
STEP THREE: Treat
Biomarker testing may reveal specific information about your NSCLC, which can help your healthcare team determine which treatment options may help prevent your cancer from coming back after surgery.
Communicate with your healthcare team to get the testing you need to complete your diagnosis.
Determine Your Treatment Plan After Surgery
After biomarker testing, your healthcare team may suggest “adjuvant treatment,” which is treatment following surgery to help keep your non-small cell lung cancer from returning.
Treatments after surgery may include:
Targeted Therapy:
A treatment option for patients with certain targetable biomarkers located on cancer cells to slow growth.
Immunotherapy:
A treatment that works to help the immune system identify and defend against cancer cells.
Chemotherapy:
Treatment that works to interrupt the growth and division of cancer cells.
Radiation:
A kind of treatment that uses high-energy rays or waves aimed at one specific part of the body and helps to stop cancer cells from growing and dividing.
TREAT
To Determine Your Treatment, First Complete Your Diagnosis
Biomarker testing can reveal specific information about your NSCLC, which can help your healthcare team determine the appropriate treatment options to treat your specific type of lung cancer.