Why Do You Need TNM Staging?
The TNM staging system has been used by doctors to stage cancer since 1966. Without adequate knowledge of a cancer stage, it will be impossible to give the appropriate treatment. This is why doctors always make sure they know your cancer stage before beginning treatment.
If your lung cancer is at an early stage, your doctor may recommend radiation or surgery. In more critical stages, your doctor may recommend treatments that affect every part of the body, including immunotherapy [2], targeted drug therapy, or chemotherapy [3].
It is important to note that the stage of a cancer is not the only factor considered when looking for the right treatment. In some cases, cancers with different stages may be treated with similar methods. Your doctor considers many factors to know which method is best for you.
Understanding a lung cancer stage is also needed to help determine the course the condition will take. It also helps predict the success of treatment. However, every situation is peculiar, cancers affecting the same organ may have the same effects. Doctors need to know your lung cancer stage to help detect the severity of the condition and explain it to you or their colleagues.
Some cancers are not staged. For instance, Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells and it usually spreads to every part of the body when they are detected. Unlike other types of cancer, most types of leukemia [4] are not staged in the same way.