[ Lung Cancer Staging ]

Lung Cancer 

This section of our website is devoted to educational material on lung cancer. 

Below is some cursory information on the traditional treatments of lung cancer.  For an extensive review of all currently available modalities in the U.S. and abroad, including non-traditional therapies, please visit my section on the Moss Reports.  

Lung Cancer Overview

This article is designed as a primer for those seeking to get a quick grasp on the global issues surrounding this very serious illness.

Generally speaking, lung cancer is broken down into two broad categories: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).  Non-small cell lung cancer is further broken down into 3 other large categories.  The following outline lays out the categories

I.                    Small Cell, sometimes called oat cell (20% of cases)

II.                 Non-small Cell

a.      Adenocarcinoma (35% of cases)

b.      Squamous Cell (30% of cases)

c.      Large cell and others (15% of cases)

Incidence:  Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women.  In 1998 there were 171,500 new cases of lung cancer.  Over 160,000 people died of lung cancer in the same year. Lung cancer represents 14% of all newly diagnosed cancers, and 28% of all cancer deaths.  Rates in women are increasing (hint: “You’ve come a long way baby”). Rates in men are decreasing because smoking is decreasing in men.  Persons cured of lung cancer are at greater risk of developing another incidence of lung cancer, or digestive related cancers.

Causes:  Smoking tobacco products is responsible for 85 to 87% of all cases (146,000/year).  Radon exposure accounts for 3% of all cases (5,000/year).  Second hand smokers (passive smokers) have a greater incidence of cancer (3000/year) than those exposed to toxic levels of asbestos (2,000/year).  . Lung cancer risk remains elevated even after smoking cessation and takes 15 years to approach that of someone who has never smoked

Treatment Overview:  Lung cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of these modalities, depending on the type and stage of the disease. For non-small-cell lung cancers that have not spread beyond the lung, surgery is most often used. Over the past several years, surgical techniques for treating lung cancer have improved greatly. When the disease has spread, treatment will often include radiation therapy and chemotherapy. For small-cell lung cancer, chemotherapy, often combined with radiation therapy, is now the most common treatment. Radiation therapy is also sometimes used in both forms of lung cancer to relieve pain and bleeding and alleviate problems with swallowing.

Prognosis:  Survivability depends on a number of factors, but especially the stage of the cancer.  Staging is discussed in another article.   With that in mind, the following defines the prognosis for small-cell and non-small cell lung cancers.

Article by Michael Guthrie, R.Ph. 

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"Alternative Cancer Treatments"  Michael Guthrie, R.Ph.  CGP 2003-2006
Updated May 7, 2006