Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. It is caused by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lungs. The most common type of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer, which accounts for about 80% of all lung cancer cases.

What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer is a type of cancer that affects the lungs. The lungs are a pair of organs in the chest that are responsible for breathing. Cancer can occur in any part of the lungs, but it most commonly affects the cells lining the air passages.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of any other type of cancer. Lung cancer is also the second most common cancer in men and women combined.

There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for about 80% of all cases. SCLC is less common, accounting for about 20% of all cases.

Types of lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC): There are two different types of small cell lung cancer: small cell carcinoma and mixed small cell/large cell cancer or combined small cell lung cancer. The types of small cell lung cancer are named for the kinds of cells found in the cancer and how the cells look when viewed under a microscope. Small cell lung cancer is almost always associated with cigarette smoking. Small cell lung cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Non-small cell lung cancer is more common. It makes up about 80 percent of lung cancer cases. This type of cancer usually grows and spreads to other parts of the body more slowly than small cell lung cancer does. There are three different types of non-small cell lung cancer:

• Adenocarcinoma: A form of non-small cell lung cancer that can often be found in an outer area of the lungs. It develops in the cells of epithelial tissues, which line the cavities and surfaces of the body and form glands.
• Squamous cell carcinoma: A form of non-small cell lung cancer usually found in the center of the lung next to the bronchus.
• Large cell carcinoma: A form of non-small cell lung cancer that can occur in any part of the lung and tends to grow and spread faster than the two types of non-small lung cancer described above.