Approximately 80 percent of people with lung cancer have non-small cell lung cancer. Depending on the type of cancer cell present, non-small cell cancer is in turn divided into several subtypes. Squamous cell carcinoma begins in thin, flat surface cells that line the respiratory tract, and is the most common type. Adenocarcinoma forms in cells that have a secretory or glandular function. Adenosquamous carcinoma begins in flattened cells that also have secretory properties. In sarcomatoid carcinoma, cells look markedly abnormal under the microscope. Carcinoid tumors grow slowly, and release hormones when stimulated by the nervous system. Cells in salivary glands in larger airways can also become cancerous.
Cancer cells in non-small cell lung cancer can produce hormones or hormone-like substances to cause certain conditions called paraneoplastic syndromes. These conditions include high blood calcium levels, abnormal clotting, overgrowth of certain bones and those in the fingertips in particular, and abnormal breast growth in men.
People with non-small cell lung cancer tend to be diagnosed later in the course of their disease, making these a difficult group of cancers to treat. The type of cancer, its location and stage, the presence of symptoms, and the patient’s overall condition and ability to withstand treatment all affect the ultimate outcome. Symptoms include breathlessness, chest pain, coughing up of blood, fatigue, fever and weight loss. A diagnosis is typically made by imaging, a lung biopsy, and blood tests.
Early non-small cell lung cancer can be treated by surgery. Once it spreads to surrounding chest tissues and to lymph nodes, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are frequently employed. Newer forms of treatment include laser therapy, photodynamic therapy, and biotherapy. The five-year survival rate for early non-small cell lung cancer is close to 50 percent; five-year survival drops to about two percent in the most advanced cases. A number of clinical trials are underway to find better treatment options. The National Cancer Institute website provides information on such trials.
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Small Cell Lung Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Between ten and twenty percent of all lung cancers are small cell lung cancers. They derive their name from the typical appearance of small, ‘oat’-like cancer cells under the microscope. This type of cancer is found almost exclusively in smokers or former smokers. Small cell...
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Lung Cancer Survival Rate
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Several factors influence lung cancer survival rates. The type of cancer, the stage it is at when diagnosed, and the overall condition of the patient all play a role in determining survival. Cancer survival is usually expressed in terms of a five-year survival rate, which...
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Lung Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Lung cancer is the most frequently lethal cancer in the United States. Among all causes of death, lung cancer ranks second after heart disease for males, and third after heart and cerebrovascular disease for females. In 2002 alone, over 150,000 people in the United States...
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Lung Cancer Treatment
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The most commonly used treatments for lung cancer are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The exact treatment a lung cancer patient receives will depend on several factors. These include the type of cancer, the stage or extent to which it has spread at the time of...
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Lung Cancer Stages
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Cancers are staged depending on how far they have spread. Staging a cancer correctly is essential to select the most appropriate treatment option. A number of diagnostic tests, such as CT scans, MRIs, bronchoscopy, blood tests, bone scans, and biopsies are used to find out...
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Lung Cancer Symptoms
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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In approximately 25% of people with lung cancer, there are no symptoms and the cancer is detected during screening or a routine physical examination. However, in three-quarters of lung cancer patients there are warning symptoms and signs that can alert the patient or their physician....
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Asbestos Lung Cancer
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People with a history of asbestos exposure are about seven times more likely to die from lung cancer than those who are unexposed to asbestos. Asbestos exposure is associated with all types of lung cancer, and with a rare type of cancer called malignant mesothelioma,...
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Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Survival Rate
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Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of malignant mesothelioma. Many factors may be involved in determining the survival rate for this aggressive cancer; some are better understood than others. Estimates of median survival time range from one to two years; survival depends on...
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Asbestos Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Asbestos, a naturally occurring complex silicate, was extensively used in many industries, including insulation in ship building, manufacture of brake linings, and automobiles. Asbestos is a common name given to a group of six fibrous minerals which have their existence in two general forms, friable...
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Diffuse Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
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Diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma, or DMM, is a rare but highly aggressive type of cancer. It occurs in the thin layer of tissue, the pleura, lining the chest cavity and lungs. Once diagnosed with DMM, most patients do not survive beyond one year. This cancer...