Lung cancer is a cancer of cells in the lung. There are different types of lung cancer, each distinguished by the type of cell which is affected within the lung.

The two main types of lung cancer are:

Small cell lung cancer

• Accounts for 15-20% of all lung cancers
• Cigarette smoking is a common predisposing factor
• Tends to spread to blood vessels and the lymph nodes early in the disease
• Surgery is not generally an option, due to early spread of the disease
• Chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy is most commonly used as treatment

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

• Accounts for approximately 80-85% of all lung cancers
• Cigarette smoking and/or asbestos exposure are common risk factors
• Treatment is dependent on the stage of disease; may be surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy

Sub-types of NSCLC

There are several sub-types of NSCLC:

• Adenocarcinoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Large cell undifferentiated

Adenocarcinoma: This type of lung cancer is generally found at the edge of the lung and can enter into the chest lining. More women (than men) and non-smokers (than smokers) seem to get this type of lung cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma: This is most often found in smokers. The tumour tends to start growing in the mucous membranes that line the bronchus tubes of the lungs and sometimes will spread into the spongy lung tissue. Coughing up blood is often a sign of this type of lung cancer.

Large cell undifferentiated carcinoma: This type of non-small cell lung cancer is not as common as the other types. The tumour tend to grow quickly and spread to other parts of the lung and body in the early stages of the disease.