Understanding a Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis
Whether you’ve just been diagnosed or your cancer has progressed, hearing that you have Stage 4 NSCLC may come as a shock. However you’re feeling, know that it’s normal. And after taking time to process, it’s time to take action.
What are the different types of NSCLC?
Lung cancer typically falls into two main types—small cell and non-small cell.
Non-small cell lung cancer is more common and is made up of 3 subtypes:

- Adenocarcinoma
- Starts in cells that typically produce mucus
- Usually found in the outer parts of the lungs
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Starts in the flat cells that line the inside of the airways in the lungs
- Often found in the central part of the lungs near a main airway
- Large cell carcinoma
- Can appear in any part of the lung
- Tends to be fast-growing
Talk to your doctor to learn more about your specific type of NSCLC and what it may mean for your treatment plan.
What does it mean when NSCLC is Stage 4?
Stage 4 NSCLC is metastatic. This means it has spread in one or more of these ways:
- to both lungs
- to the fluid in the area around the lungs or heart
- away from the lungs to another part of the body
Stage 4 NSCLC has two subtypes:
Stage 4A NSCLC
The cancer may have spread to distant parts of the body as a single tumor
Stage 4B NSCLC
The cancer may have spread to distant parts of the body as multiple tumors
