What Is Lung Cancer and How Prevalent Is it?

Lung cancer is the most common cancer-related cause of death among men and women today. More than 162,000 Americans are expected to die from this disease in 2006. Although the rate of lung cancer is declining among white men in the United States, it continues to increase among African-American men and Caucasian and African-American women.

Lung cancer represents 28 percent of all diagnosed cancers. Deaths from lung cancer alone outnumber the total number of deaths from breast, prostate and colon cancers combined. Lung cancer is often called the most tragic cancer, because the majority of lung cancers may be preventable. About 87 percent of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking.

Lung cancer develops over many years. While changes in the lung tissue may begin to appear soon after exposure to carcinogens (cancer-causing substances), it takes many years for a lung tumor to develop.

Cancers that begin in the lungs can be divided into two main types: small cell lung cancer (about 20 percent) and non-small cell lung cancer (80 percent). The cell type or microscopic appearance of the tumor cells determines the type of cancer present.

Small cell lung cancer is also referred to as oat cell cancer because its size is proportional to oats. Although small cell lung cancer is less common than non-small cell lung cancer, it is a more aggressive type of tumor that is more likely to metastasize early (spread to other organs of the body). It is also very responsive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer, and it often tends to be a slower-growing and slower-spreading disease than small cell lung cancer. There are several different types of non-small cell lung cancer. Each has its own behavior pattern.

Related Articles What Are the Risk Factors for Developing Lung Cancer? What Are the Signs and Symptoms Associated With Lung Cancer? How Is Lung Cancer Diagnosed? Treatment Options for Those Diagnosed With Lung Cancer What Is the Prognosis and Outlook for Someone With Lung Cancer? Emphysema

External Sources Dollinger M, Rosenbaum, EH, Tempero M., et al. Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy, Fourth Edition, Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2002 National Cancer Institute

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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