Lung Cancer: Introduction
What is cancer?
Cancer may seem complex. But at its core, cancer is simple. Normal cells grow and
die when your body needs them to. Cancer is what happens when certain cells grow even
though your body doesn’t need them.
In many cases, these cancerous cells form a lump or mass called a tumor. Since cancerous
cells don’t act like normal cells, tumors can prevent your body from working correctly.
Given time, they can also spread, or metastasize, to other parts of the body.
Lung cancer is cancer that starts in the cells that make up the lungs. It isn’t cancer
that spreads to the lungs from other parts of the body. This is key because treatment
is based on the original site of the tumor. For example: If a tumor begins in the
breast and spreads to the lungs, it would be treated as metastatic breast cancer—not
lung cancer.
Understanding the lungs
The lungs are sponge-like organs in your chest. Their job is to bring oxygen into
the body and to get rid of carbon dioxide. When you breathe air in, it goes into your
lungs through your windpipe (trachea). The trachea divides into tubes called bronchi,
which enter the lungs. These divide into smaller branches called bronchioles. At the
end of the bronchioles are tiny air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli move oxygen from
the air into your blood. They take carbon dioxide out of the blood. This leaves your
body when you breathe out (exhale).
Your right lung is divided into 3 sections (lobes). Your left lung has 2 lobes.
Types of lung cancer
There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small
cell lung cancer (SCLC). Understanding the differences between these types may lessen
anxiety about your diagnosis and treatment.
Non-small cell lung cancer
NSCLC accounts for 85% to 90% of lung cancer cases. There are 3 main subtypes. Each
subtype is named for the type of cell it develops in:
Despite minor differences, they are often treated the same way.
Small cell lung cancer
Only about 1 in 10 to 3 in 20 people diagnosed with lung cancer have small-cell lung
cancer (also called oat cell cancer). It's also almost exclusively found in smokers.
It tends to grow more quickly than NSCLC. It often spreads to other parts of the body
at an earlier stage.
How lung cancer spreads
Lung cancer acts differently in different people. But when it spreads, it tends to
go to the same places. First: lymph nodes in the center of the chest. It may also
spread to lymph nodes in the lower neck.
Lymph nodes are small clusters of immune system cells.
During later stages, lung cancer may spread to more distant parts of the body, such
as the liver, brain, or bones.
Talk with your healthcare provider
If you have questions about lung cancer, talk with your healthcare provider. They can
help you understand more about this cancer.