Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction

Lung Cancer is one of the major public health issue in the United States of America. Smoking tobacco is the primary cause of lung cancer; however environmental exposures and family history are also significant risk factors (Howard, 2005). It is the 2nd most widespread malignancy besides prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Small and non-small cell types are the two main types of lung cancer. NSCLC or non-small cell lung cancer is the most widespread and common type of lung cancer, representing just about 87% of all lung cancers. It does not spread as speedily as small cell lung cancer, however is yet commonly diagnosed later than a surgical treatment is not possible. There are three major forms of non-small cell lung cancer.

Discussion

Three Types of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer is comprised of three cell types which are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell undifferentiated carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma is the most common cell type, covering around 35% to 40% of the Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer cases. It starts in the cells that layer the alveoli and form substances for instance mucus. It is characteristically found in the direction of the peripheral segments of the lung and likely to be the kind of NSCLC located in nonsmokers (Roth, 1988).

Squamous cell carcinoma forms 20% to 25% of NSCLC cases and starts in the lungs squamous cells. This mass is likely to be centrally positioned and is slow developing, taking more time to shift from solitary tumors to persistent malignancies.

Large cell undifferentiated carcinoma stands for the remaining 10% to 15% of the group of non-small cell, and similar to adenocarcinoma, is positioned on the exterior segments of the lung. It is powerfully linked with the history of smoking and tends to be further destructive by metastasizing more rapidly as compare to the other types of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Roth, 1988).

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - The Four Stages

The Stage one NSCLC is the most primitive stage at which majority of lung cancers are identified and the stage where long-standing endurance is the longest. Around 30 percent of non-small cell lung cancers are diagnosed when they are yet at stage one or two. It is a localized stage, which denotes it has not reach to any distant organs or lymph nodes. The stage one is further split into:

Stage One-A when the lump or tumor is below 3 centimeters

Stage One-B when the lump or tumor is beyond 3 centimeters (Henschke, 2006)

The Stage two non-small cell lung cancer is often described as a localized cancer, which denotes a tumor that is there in the lung and might have reached to the lymph nodes however has not extended more. Tumors that have reached further than these parts are labeled as "advanced cancers." Around 30 percent of lung cancers are identified when they are at stage one or two, and the long-standing result is considerably better than with advanced stages of the ...