Stage 1 NSCLC
Cells become cancerous in this stage.
- Stage 1A: A tumor that is 3cm or smaller is seen only in the lungs. The cancer has not spread to lymph nodes or other parts.
- Stage 1B: In this stage, the lung cancer tumor is bigger than 3 cm, but smaller than 4 cm, and has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.
In some cases, the lung cancer tumor is 4 cm or smaller and has the following characteristics:
- The cancer has spread to the main bronchus (a big airway connecting the trachea to the lung), but not the carina (a ridge at the bottom of the trachea that separates the openings of the left and right main bronchi).
- The cancer has spread to the innermost tissue that wraps around the lung.
- A part of the lung has collapsed or has pneumonitis (a condition caused by Inflammation) [1].
In this stage, the cancer has not spread to neighboring lymph nodes.