Types of Lung Cancers & Its Treatment

Proton Cancer Centre

Health care professionals broadly classify lung cancers into two types: small-cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC). This classification depends upon the microscopic appearance of the tumor cells themselves, specifically the size of the cells. These two types of cancers grow and spread in different ways and may have different treatment options.

SCLC comprises about 20% of lung cancers which are the most aggressive and rapidly growing of all lung cancers. SCLC is related to cigarette smoking, with only 1% of these tumors occurring in non-smokers. SCLC metastasis rapidly spreads to many sites within the body and are most often discovered after they have spread extensively. Referring to a specific cell appearance often seen when examining samples of SCLC under the microscope, these cancers are sometimes called oat cell carcinomas.

NSCLC is the most common lung cancers, accounting for about 80% of all lung cancers. NSCLC can be divided into several main types that are named based upon the type of cells found in the tumor:

Adenocarcinomas:

Adenocarcinomas are associated with smoking like other lungs cancers, physicians see this type in nonsmokers who develop lung cancer, as well. Most adenocarcinomas arise in the outer, or peripheral, areas of the lungs.

Squamous cell carcinomas:

Squamous cell carcinomas were formerly more common than adenocarcinomas; at present, they account for about 30% of NSCLC. Also known as epidermoid carcinomas, squamous cell cancers arise most frequently in the central chest area in the bronchi.

Large cell carcinomas:

Some times large cell carcinomas referred to as undifferentiated carcinomas, which are the least common type of NSCLC.

Other types of cancers can arise in the lung; these types are much less common than NSCLC and SCLC and together comprise only 5%-10% of lung cancers:

Bronchial carcinoids account for up to 5% of lung cancers. Physicians sometimes refer to these tumors as lung neuroendocrine tumors. They are generally small (3 cm-4 cm or less) when diagnosed and occur most commonly in people under 40 years of age. Unrelated to cigarette smoking, carcinoid tumors can metastasize, and a small proportion of these tumors secrete hormone-like substances that may cause specific symptoms related to the hormone produced. Carcinoids generally grow and spread more slowly than bronchogenic cancers, and medical professionals detect many early enough to be amenable to surgical resection.

Cancers of supporting lung tissue such as smooth muscle, blood vessels or cells involved in the immune response can rarely occur in the lung.

Treatment for Lung Cancer

1. Surgical Treatment

Surgery is an important aspect of multi-modal treatment for Lung Cancer. It is effective when the cancer is confined to the lungs. Surgery is also used to take out residual cancerous tissue after chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

2. Radiation Therapy

The radiation therapy treatment can be given to cure patients whose lung cancers are confined to the chest but cannot be removed surgically. Using the most-advanced technologies, we can now deliver powerful doses of radiation directly to your tumor with exquisite precision.

3. Proton Therapy

Proton therapy is extremely beneficial for lung cancer treatment. In this precise doses of protons are given to the exact location of the lung cancer. There is very minimal exposure to normal lung tissue and bone marrow, resulting in a much lesser possibility of lung injury. Reducing bone marrow exposure may reduce treatment-related fatigue and, when necessary, allow for the delivery of more intensive chemotherapy during or after proton therapy.

4. Chemotherapy

In treating Lung Cancer, Chemotherapy is often used after surgery to kill any cancer cells that may remain. It can be used alone or combined with radiation therapy. Chemotherapy may also be used before surgery to shrink cancers and make them easier to remove; it can also be used to relieve pain and other symptoms.

5. Targeted Therapy

In recent years, there has been a major paradigm shift in the management of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Targeted therapy is pushing the boundary to significantly improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

For more information about lung cancer visit the Apollo Proton Cancer Treatment For Thoracic Cancer.