What is Lung cancer?

What is Lung cancer?

• Lung cancer: Cancer of the lung, mostly related to smoking and tobacco.
• Lung cancer: carcinoma of the lungs; one of the commonest forms of cancer.
  Source - WordNet 2.1

Name and Aliases of Lung cancer

Main name of condition: Lung cancer

lung tumor

Types of Lung cancer:

Subtypes of Lung cancer: Primary lung cancer, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Squamous cell carcinoma (lung), Adenocarcinomas (lung), Large cell carcinoma (lung), Metastatic lung cancer, Mesothelioma
Parent types of Lung cancer: Cancer, Respiratory system cancer, Lung conditions

Organs Affected by Lung cancer:

lung

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: 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)
Complications of Lung cancer: see complications of Lung cancer

What causes Lung cancer?

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

Can anyone else get Lung cancer?

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

How is it treated?

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)
• 10.8 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 6 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 66 was the mean age of patients hospitalised for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 24% of hospital consultant episodes for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung occurred in 15-59 year olds in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 27% of hospital consultant episodes for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung occurred in people over 75 in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 36% of hospital consultant episodes for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung were single day episodes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 0.77% (404,810) of hospital bed days were for malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)