What is Lung cancer?

What is Lung cancer?

• Lung cancer: Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs. Most lung tumors are malignant.
• Lung cancer: carcinoma of the lungs; one of the commonest forms of cancer.
  Source - WordNet 2.1

Lung cancer: Introduction

Types of Lung cancer:

Types of Lung cancer:

• Primary lung cancer - see categorization by cell types affected:
  • Small Cell Lung Cancer - also Small cell carcinomas or "oat cell" cancers
  • Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - more common than small cell lung cancer; there are various non-small cell subtypes:
    • Squamous cell carcinoma (lung) - also called "epidermoid carcinoma".
    • Adenocarcinomas (lung)
    • Large cell carcinoma (lung)
• Metastatic lung cancer - when actually caused by another type of cancer; see underlying causes.
• Mesothelioma
• more types...»

Broader types of Lung cancer:

• Cancer
• Respiratory system cancer
• Lung conditions
• more types...»

How many people get Lung cancer?

Incidence (annual) of Lung cancer: 169,400 annual cases (SEER 2002 estimate: lung and bronchus cancers)
Incidence Rate of Lung cancer: approx 1 in 1,605 or 0.06% or 169,400 people in USA [about data]
Lifetime risk of Lung cancer: 1 in 17 lifetime risk of lung cancer for women in the US (Cancer Facts and Figures, American Cancer Society, 2004)

Who gets Lung cancer?

Patient Profile for Lung cancer: Usually older adults 40-70; most are smokers.

How serious is Lung cancer?

Prognosis of Lung cancer: It depends upon the histological type of cancer, the stage (degree of spread), and the patient's performance status . Only about 2% of those diagnosed with lung cancer that has spread to other areas of the body are alive five years after the diagnosis, although the survival rates for lung cancers diagnosed at a very early stage are higher, with approximately 49% surviving for five years or longer.
Complications of Lung cancer: see complications of Lung cancer
Prognosis of Lung cancer: Survival rates have improved for non small-cell lung cancer because of advances in combination radiation/chemotherapy treatment. However, small cell lung cancer is still very difficult to treat. Small cell is the most aggressive of lung cancers, and many patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Small cell lung cancer is responsive to both chemotherapy and radiation, yet nearly all these patients eventually relapse and need additional treatment. (Source: excerpt from Lung Cancer: NWHIC)
Deaths for Lung cancer: 160,440 estimated deaths for lung/bronchial cancer in the US 2004 (Cancer Facts and Figures, American Cancer Society, 2004)

What causes Lung cancer?

Causes of Lung cancer: see causes of Lung cancer
Risk factors for Lung cancer: see risk factors for Lung cancer

What are the symptoms of Lung cancer?

Symptoms of Lung cancer: see symptoms of Lung cancer

Complications of Lung cancer: see complications of Lung cancer

Can anyone else get Lung cancer?

Contagion of cancer: generally not; see details in contagion of cancer.

Lung cancer: Testing

Diagnostic testing: see tests for Lung cancer.

Misdiagnosis: see misdiagnosis and Lung cancer.

How is it treated?

Doctors and Medical Specialists for Lung cancer: General practitioner, Primary care physician, Pulmonologist, Medical oncologist, Oncosurgeon, Dermatologist, Physiotherapist, Physiologist, Neurologist, Thoracic surgeon, Radiation oncologist, Immunologist, Psychologist ; see also doctors and medical specialists for Lung cancer.
Treatments for Lung cancer: see treatments for Lung cancer
Prevention of Lung cancer: see prevention of Lung cancer
Research for Lung cancer: see research for Lung cancer

Society issues for Lung cancer

Hospitalization statistics for Lung cancer: The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Lung cancer:

• 0.62% (79,192) of hospital consultant episodes were for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 83% of hospital consultant episodes for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 60% of hospital consultant episodes for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 40% of hospital consultant episodes for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 31% of hospital consultant episodes for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• more statistics...»

Organs Affected by Lung cancer:

Organs and body systems related to Lung cancer include:

• Lung

Name and Aliases of Lung cancer

Main name of condition: Lung cancer

Class of Condition for Lung cancer: cancer

lung tumor