Types Of Lung Cancer
What are the different types of lung cancer? Cancer is a terrible disease. Most of the time, when the disease gets detected it is already at their late stages. This is the same with lung cancer. This is defined as the cancer that affects one or both lungs. There are many different types of lung cancer. They are characterized by different symptoms and they differently affect humans as well. This is why it is very important that one is aware of the many different types of lung cancer. This will aid in early detection and even prevention of the disease.
The main types of lung cancer are the non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, mesothelioma, lung carcinoid tumors, and secondary lung cancer. There are also rare types of lung cancer that can be classified as sarcomas, lymphomas, and hamartomas.
The most common types of lung cancer are the non-small cell lung cancers. These are what compose 80% of the total population that have lung cancer. These are then broken down into three types. The first is lung adenocarcinoma. This is seen in non-smokers. This is also the kinds of lung cancer that are mostly seen in women. The second type is called squamous cell carcinoma. These are types of lung cancer that starts at the bronchial tubes. People who are diagnosed with this are usually those that smoke cigarettes and pipes without filter. Third, we have the large cell carcinomas. These are the ones with the least occurrence. This occurs on the outer parts of the lungs.
Next are the small cell types of lung cancer. These are the types of lung cancer that are linked to cigarette smoking the most. They normally grow in the center areas of the lungs. Also, people do not notice the symptoms of these types as they don’t usually show. The worst part about these types of lung cancer is that they grow very quickly. Most of the time, when people are able to get diagnosed with this, the cancer is already inoperable.
Mesotheliomas are types of lung cancer that develops in the areas of the lungs but starts from the mesothelium. In the US, there are 2000 cases of this detected annually. However, the sad part is that these kinds of lung cancer are increasing worldwide.
Secondary lung cancer normally comes from other parts of the body. For instance, a person may have breast cancer. When this cancer spreads, this may affect the lungs. When lung cancer is detected, it is considered secondary lung cancer. This is also called metastatic lung cancer.
Lastly, we have the lung carcinoid tumor. These are also called bronchial carcinoids. These are what make up 5% of the total population of people who have lung cancer. However, not all the people get this are diagnosed with malignant. Among all the other types, these ones are most commonly seen in younger people than adults. Also, most of the people who get this do not smoke or at least are not even related to smoking. These grow slowly and often can be removed through surgery.
