While non-small-cell lung cancers grow and spread relatively slowly, only about one-fourth are detected at an early, operable stage. That is, they are usually not discovered until they are inoperable.
相對地，非小細胞肺癌則生長、移轉得較緩慢，即使如此，診斷出來可開刀的早期病例仍只有四分之一，換句話說，大多數病人發現時都已屬無法開刀的末期。