Stage of Lung Cancer in Relation to Its Size.

Discusses a study to assess the relationship between tumor size and disease stage at the time of diagnosis in non-small cell lung cancer. Identification of all cases of primary non-small cell lung cancer diagnosed prior to autopsy from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry; Study's focus on 84,152 cases diagnosed in 1988 or later and documented as to tumor size and disease stage at diagnosis; Use of low-dose computed tomography as a way to diagnose early stage lung cancers; Distribution of disease stage within categories of tumor size; Indication that the smaller the tumor was, the more likely the disease was stage I; Conclusion that tumor size has substantial bearing on disease stage in non-small cell lung cancer.