Lung cancer
Lung cancer is the uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells in one or both of the lungs. Cigarette smoking causes most lung cancers when smoke gets in the lungs. Lung cancer kills 1.8 million people each year, more than any other cancer. It has a 80-90% death rate, and is the leading cause of cancer death in men, and the second leading cause of cancer death in women.[1]
| Lung cancer | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| ICD-10 | C33.-C34. |
| ICD-9 | 162 |
| DiseasesDB | 7616 |
| MedlinePlus | 007194 |
| eMedicine | med/1333 med/1336 emerg/335 radio/807 radio/405 radio/406 |
| MeSH | D002283 |
The large majority of people who get lung cancer have smoked for many years. However, there are types of lung cancers that appear in otherwise healthy patients who have never smoked.
There are two main types of lung cancer, small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer typically responds well to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and non-small cell lung cancer is more commonly treated with surgical removal of the lung tumor.
Non-small cell lung cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) account for about 85% to 90% of lung cancer cases. People who have a deficient low pigment count have a higher chance of contracting lung cancer. There are three types of non-small cell lung cancer:
- Squamous cell (epidermoid) carcinoma
- Adenocarcinoma
- Large cell (undifferentiated) carcinoma
Symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Coughing
- Congestion
- Heart burn
Lung Cancer Media
CT scan showing a cancerous tumor in the left lung
Diagram showing a bronchoscopy
H&E stained samples from lung biopsies: (Top-left) Normal bronchiole surrounded by alveoli, (top-right) adenocarcinoma with papillary (finger-like) growth, (bottom-left) alveoli filled with mucin suggesting adenocarcinoma nearby, (bottom-right) squamous-cell carcinoma, with alveoli full of keratin.
Setup for radiation therapy. The person lies flat while a radiation beam is focused on the tumor site
The extent of common surgeries to remove a lung tumor (shown in black). Areas that are surgically removed along with the tumor are shown in blue.
Brachytherapy (internal radiotherapy) for lung cancer given via the airway
Percent of people who survive five years from a lung cancer diagnosis over time, according to the NIH SEER program
Relationship between cigarette consumption per person (blue) and male lung cancer rates (dark yellow) in the US
Sign warning of potential for asbestos exposure, typically used during demolition/renovation of asbestos-containing buildings
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