Lung Cancer

9 Pages 2331 Words

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Non-small cell cancer accounts for almost 80% of lung cancers. It has three sub-types. The sub-types differ in the size, shape, and chemical make-up. The first sub-type is squamous cell carcinoma and accounts for almost 30% of lung cancers. It is associated with a history of smoking and tends to be found centrally near a bronchi. Another sub-type is adenocarcinoma. This accounts for about 40% of lung cancers and is found in the outer region of the lung. There is one type of adenocarcinoma, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, has a better prognosis than any other type of lung cancer. The last type of NSCLC is large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma. It accounts for about 10% of lung cancers and may appear in any part of the lung and it tends to grow and spread quickly resulting in a poor prognosis.
During the year 2000, there were about 164,100 new cases of lung cancer. It accounts for about 13.4% of all new cancers. The average age of people diagnosed with lung cancer is 60 and is unusual under the age of 40. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women. By the end of 2000, there will be an estimated 156,900 deaths from lung cancer, accounting for 28.4% of all cancer deaths. More people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate, and prostate cancers combined (American Cancer Society, 2000). Fewer men will have died of lung cancer than in the previous years. This probably reflects the drop in the number of young men who smoke. On the other hand, more women will have died of lung cancer by the end of 2000 than in the previous year. The increase in their death rate is slowing but it hasn’t begun to drop just yet.
There are many risk factors for lung cancer. The most important factor is tobacco smoking. More than 80% of lung cancers are...