Tumor Size Often Determines How Likely Cancer Will Spread In Lungs

Smaller tumors in lung cancer are less likely to spread into cancer, according to an Archives of Internal medicine study that reported that the earlier the detection, the better chance for successfully treating lung cancer.

Early screening using a 64 slice CT scan provides early detection of lung cancer even when a person is not aware of having cancer. The CT scan finds tumors that are very small in size; tumors less than 30 millimeters in diameter are classified as stage IA, while the IB tumors measure larger than 30 millimeters in diameter. Because of the use of CT scans, the size rating of stage I cancers now have two size categories; IA, and IB. There is some relationship to tumor size and the prognosis of surviving lung cancer for most patients.

Lung cancer specialists classify tumors as either small cell or non-small cell along with their sizes at the time of diagnosis, as cardiologists do with irregular cell growth in the heart.

They make a note of cancer cells that metastasize or spread. The patient’s tumors are determined if they were solid, nonsolid or part-solid. In the study, among the 464 lung cancer patients observed, 28 patients had small cell cancer, and the tumors associated with this type of cancer were at a higher risk for spreading.

In addition to finding tumors of the lung, using computed tomography CT heart scan and advanced computer software, cardiologists can obtain a non-invasive image of the beating heart. This allows for the obtaining of detailed information about the structure of a patient's heart and coronary arteries, which until recently, was only available by an invasive coronary angiogram. The extent of arterial calcification can also be determined using a full body scan and is an important early indicator of the presence of coronary artery disease. These discoveries may lead to earlier treatment that will prevent a heart attack or possible death.