preview

Lung Cancer : A Malignant Transformation And Growth

Better Essays

Lung Cancer Screening

Lung cancer is a malignant transformation and growth of the cells of the lung and the airway tissues. It is usually divided into two main types: Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC, 15%) and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC, 85%) with the latter further subdivided into several subtypes such as Squamous, Large Cell, and Adenocarcinoma among other rare subtypes. Each subtype has its own unique growth and spread pattern with some being more aggressive than others. Lung cancer is staged according to the American Joint Committee by the TNM system, where T stands for the size, N for nodal involvement and M for the presence of distant metastases. The knowledge of the lung cancer main types, subtypes and stage, and the presence of specific molecular and genetic signatures, help the clinician determine the treatment approaches be it surgical, radiation, chemotherapy and the combination of, in addition to the appropriate type of chemotherapy.
Lung cancer has been the most common cancer in the world for several decades. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates for 2012 was 1.8 million new cases which constituted 12.9% of the total number of new cancers diagnosed worldwide. Fifty eight percent of which occurred in the less developed regions. Lung cancer remains the most common cancer in men worldwide (1.2 million, 16.7% of the total) with the highest estimated age-adjusted incidence rates in Central and Eastern Europe (53.5 per 100,000) and

Get Access