LUNG CANCER
Types
Types of Lung Cancer
Getting diagnosed with lung cancer can be an extremely emotional and uncertain time. You may have to undergo further tests to determine the type and stage of the lung cancer you have. Your doctors will support you, but you are likely to have a lot of questions about your diagnosis and what it means for you and your loved ones.
Types of lung cancer
There are two major types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The stage of lung cancer is based on whether the cancer is local or has spread from the lungs to the lymph nodes or other organs. Because the lungs are large, tumors can grow in them for a long time before they are found. Even when symptoms—such as coughing and fatigue—do occur, people might think they are due to other causes. For this reason, early-stage lung cancer (stages I and II) is difficult to detect.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for about 85 percent of lung cancers and includes:
Adenocarcinoma: starts from adenomatous cells; these normally secrete substances such as mucus. This is the type found more often in current or former smokers, but also is the type commonly occurring in non-smokers. Adenocarcinoma is found more often in women than in men, and also in people of younger ages than other types. They are seen in the outer parts of the lungs in the x-rays or CTs of the chest.
Squamous cell carcinoma, starts in squamous cells, the cells that line the inside of the airways. Usually occurs in smokers and is more often seen in the central part of the lungs, close to a main airway.
Large cell carcinoma, appears in any part of the lung. Usually grows and spreads quickly. A subtype of large cell carcinoma, is the large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, which is a fast-growing cancer, often very similar to small cell lung cancer.
Small Cell Lung Cancer
Around 10-15% of people with lung cancer have small cell lung cancer. This type of lung cancer is made up of small round cells that form fleshy lumps and usually starts in the larger airways.
Small cell lung cancer grows very quickly and it may spread to the lymph nodes and/or other organs in the body faster than NSCLC. About 70% of people with SCLC will have cancer that has already spread at the time of their initial diagnosis.
Small cell lung cancer is generally very responsive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and only in rare cases this type of lung cancer can be surgically removed. However, small cell lung cancer often returns within a short space of time, so it is usual for you to attend regular check-ups to ensure any recurrence is found and treated quickly.
