Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. It usually grows and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer.
There are three forms of NSCLC:
Adenocarcinomas are often found in an outer area of the lung.
Squamous cell carcinomas are usually found in the center of the lung by an air tube (bronchus).
Large cell carcinomas can occur in any part of the lung. They tend to grow and spread faster than the other two types.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Smoking causes most cases of lung cancer. Being around the smoke from others (secondhand smoke) also raises your risk for lung cancer. However, people who do not smoke and have never smoked have become sick with lung cancer.
A review of decades of research has recently shown that smoking marijuana may help cancer cells grow, but there is no direct link between the drug and lung cancer.
High levels of air pollution, working with or near cancer-causing chemicals or materials (such as asbestos), and drinking water containing high levels of arsenic can increase your risk for lung cancer. Radiation therapy to the lungs can also increase the risk.
Symptoms
Early lung cancer may not cause any symptoms. Symptoms you should watch for include:
Lung cancer - small cell (18 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
It tends to spread much more quickly than non-small cell lung cancer.There are three different types of small cell lung cancer:.Small cell carcinoma(oat cell cancer) Mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma Combined small cell carcinoma.Most small ce...Reviewer: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/04/2008
Mesothelioma (malignant) (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon cancerous tumor of the lining of the lung and chest cavity(pleura) or lining of the abdomen(peritoneum) that is typically due to long-term asbestos exposure.Long-term exposure to asbestos-- a fire-resistant ma...Reviewer: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/04/2008
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Metastasis is the movement or spreading of cancer cells from one organ or tissue to another. Cancer cells usually spread through the bloodstream or the lymph system.Whether or not cancer cells metastasize(spread to) to other parts of the body depe...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 10/20/2008
Metastatic cancer to the lung (12 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Metastatic cancer to the lung is cancer that starts somewhere else in the body and spreads to the lungs.Reviewer: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/04/2008
Metastatic pleural tumor (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Metastatic pleural tumor is a type of cancer that has spread from another organ to the thin membrane(pleura) surrounding the lungs.The blood and lymph systems can carry cancer cells to other organs in the body, where they can produce new growths o...Reviewer: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/04/2008
Lung needle biopsy (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A lung needle biopsy is a method to remove a piece of lung tissue for examination.Transthoracic needle aspiration; Percutaneous needle aspiration.A chest x-ray or chest CT scan may be used to find the exact spot for the biopsy. If the biopsy is do...Reviewer: Benjamin Medoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/13/2008
Open lung biopsy (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
An open lung biopsy is surgery to remove a small piece of tissue from the lung. The sample is then examined for cancer, infection, or lung disease.An open lung biopsy is done in a hospital operating room under general anesthesia, which means you a...Reviewer: Robert A. Cowles, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 10/10/2008
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Asbestosis is a respiratory disease brought on by inhaling asbestos fibers.Pulmonary fibrosis- from asbestos exposure; Interstitial pneumonitis- from asbestos exposure.Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause scar tissue(fibrosis) to form inside the lun...Reviewer: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine UMDNJ-NJMS, Attending Physician in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Veterans Affairs, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 04/24/2009
Smoking hazards (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Question: What are the negative effects of smoking?Answer: Smokers have an increased risk of the following:Lung cancerLung diseaseHeart attackHeart diseaseHypertensionStrokeOral cancerBladder cancerPancreatic cancerCervical cancerPregnancy complic...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 02/23/2009
Smoking - tips on how to quit (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cigarettes- tips on how to quit; Smoking cessation.There are a lot of ways to quit smoking and many resources to help you. Family members, friends, and coworkers may be supportive or encouraging, but the desire and commitment to quit must be your ...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 06/19/2008
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People with cancer need special nutritional planning and management.People with cancer are at risk for developing nutritional deficiencies. The deficiencies may be the result of the cancer itself, or the side effects of common cancer treatments su...Reviewer: Patrika Tsai, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 07/22/2008
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